All Up in the Fur
by DeliriousAbsol
Summary: While investigating a series of kidnappings, Nick decides to go undercover completely of his own accord. It's such a convincing act, Judy is too scared to tell her superiors. Especially since both his job and life may be at risk. When things grow even more worrying, she has no choice but to gain help from two of Nick's friends – Flash and Finnick. (Eventual WildeHopps)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - I might be a bit early posting this, but I've written four chapters so far! I have more ideas for a sequel than I do this one, so it's not going to be especially long.**

 **I thought I'd post it now to see how it goes, and if anyone has any suggestions (other than the obvious Nick/Judy pairing) then let me know!**

 **Disclaimer (applies to the whole fanfic) - I do NOT own Zootopia or any of its characters!**

1

It had been a rather chaotic week, and it was only Wednesday.

That's what Judy was thinking as she marched into the ZPD that morning, as bright eyed as she always was. Nick trudged behind her, yawning widely as he pushed his way through the revolving door.

"Ooh! Well if it isn't my favourite bunny and fox!" The large cheetah behind the desk leant forwards, his long tail swishing excitedly behind him. "How are you two this morning?"

"Very well, thank you, Clawhauser!" Judy quipped.

"She can speak for herself," said Nick as he looped his shades through a button hole on his shirt. "I was up most of the night and she wouldn't let me stop for coffee on the way."

"We were going to be late!"

"Late night. Sleepy fox." Nick's eye went down to the box of donuts on the cheetah's desk and he pointed. "May I?"

Clawhauser nodded and opened the box for the fox as he picked one out.

"Ooh, jam!" Nick took a bite out of his chosen donut and a huge smile spread across his face.

"You're gonna need the sugar," said Clawhauser. "Chief Bogo showed up early this morning. It doesn't look like things are going to calm down for you, at least not today anyway."

Judy's ears drooped slightly at the thought of what else could possibly have gone wrong. "Oh dear."

She sped off towards the bullpen while Nick casually strolled along behind her.

They were amongst the last there and quickly took their seats as they waited patiently for the Chief. Nick was noisily licking sugar from his paws when the water buffalo entered and eyed each of the filled seats in turn.

"I'm afraid I don't exactly have good news," he said flatly. "As you have probably heard, there's been two more mammals gone missing. A pair of angora rabbit twins."

Judy's breath caught in her throat as she watched Chief Bogo pin the photo to the map of Zootopia, just outside the city's centre. Two angora rabbits. From the looks of it, they were only around five or six years old, and amongst the pictures of the other missing mammals which mostly consisted of sheep and alpaca, they seemed oddly out of place.

"Add this to the ever increasing reports of 'fur fondling' and we're in for another busy day. I've already got one victim lined up for interview and it isn't even nine a.m." He frowned and crossed his arms as he looked over at the silent room. "Well. At least we won't be bored."

Fangmeyer let out a small laugh from the back of the room, which was met with strained, nervous laughter. Bogo didn't so much as flinch. Truth be told, if you didn't laugh you'd cry, and right now, as Judy stared at that picture, she did indeed feel like crying. She could practically feel Nick's eyes boring into her from his spot beside her.

"Hey, Carrots, are you okay?" he muttered.

"So here's what I want you to do," Bogo went on. His voice boomed through the room shouting out orders, and Judy was rather surprised that she was one of the first he addressed. "Hopps and Wilde, I want you two to interview the parents of the angora twins. See what you can find out about the incident."

There was something behind the buffalo's eyes that told her there was a reason he'd picked them for this particular task. Maybe he'd noticed the worry she'd expressed that members of her own species had been kidnapped. Or maybe it was just something as simple as realising small animals would appreciate a police officer not much bigger than them showing up on their doorstep.

She gave the large rhino beside her a friendly smile as her and Nick slipped off their shared seat and made for the door.

"So we get the bunnies," said Nick. "I guess I'll need to turn on the charm that won you over, hey Fluff?" He gave her a wink.

"Don't get cocky, Slick," she said. "It wasn't your charm that won me over."

They stopped beside the front desk to grab the case file on the missing twins. She had to go through the filing cabinet herself since Clawhauser was currently in conversation with a brown alpaca.

"Could you please tell me when I'm being seen?" the alpaca asked.

"I can assure you Chief Bogo will be right out," Clawhauser said with as much cheer as he could muster.

"I'm telling you, I'm deeply distressed!" said the alpaca. "That cat just... came out of nowhere and stroked my fur!" He shuddered.

Nick glanced back at the alpaca as they moved away, his mouth turned into a grimace.

"You know, I just don't understand this new fad," he said.

"I don't think any of us do," said Judy. "However, you did once touch Bellwether's wool."

"I was curious. I don't have wool. Besides." He cast a quick glance back at the alpaca as they left the building. "It's not just woolly animals complaining about this. It's all mammals."

"I'm aware of that," she said as she read over the file. It was small. Just a photo of the twin angoras stood between their parents and the date and time the twins were found to be missing. Twelve hours ago.

She'd just arrived home at that point. She'd been making herself some supper after working late and was about to go to bed, while some other mammal was out targeting these poor bunnies.

That was something else she didn't understand. Why, over the past five days, had twelve animals gone missing?

...

The little house wasn't that far from Little Rodentia. It was a low building with a rounded roof and cute little topiaries trimmed into cones around the edge of a tidy garden. The pink mail box had the name 'Twitch' printed on it.

Judy strolled up to the front door with her partner and put on her friendliest smile as she tapped the brass knocker against the wood. The door opened silently and a pretty, round face peered out at them around the crack.

"Mrs. Twitch?" she asked. "I'm Officer Judy Hopps and this is my partner, Officer Nick Wilde."

"Pleased to meet you." The fox offered his paw, but the rabbit just stared at it while her nose twitched beneath her locks of long, silky white hair. He retrieved his paw and clasped it behind his back, instead offering her a friendly smile.

"We're here about your missing children," Judy explained. "May we come in?"

The angora rabbit remained silent as she looked from the rabbit to the fox and back. The door opened wider and a chubby gentleman rabbit stood behind her, his long fur trimmed into a basin cut around his ears and topped with a bowler hat.

"I'm terribly sorry," he said. "My wife doesn't trust foxes. Never has. Doesn't trust any canine predator. I beg your pardon, Officer." He took Nick's paw in both of his and shook it energetically, making the fox's jaw drop with surprise. "My name's Edward. Edward Twitch. So glad you showed up, and with good time too. I'm so sorry to have to put you out like this, you look like you've not slept in weeks. Oh it's awful. Truly awful, all this with the kidnappings. I can't believe our little twins have got caught up in this. Oh, I didn't sleep a wink last night."

Nick retrieved his paw again from the seemingly endless handshake and laughed nervously. "I... I can imagine."

"Do come in. Do come in. Poppy, please put the kettle on for our guests? Follow me, Officers. Follow me."

The female angora gave Nick a nervous glance and waddled away into the kitchen while Edward led them into the living room.

"I hope the sofa is big enough for you, Officer Wilde." Edward gestured to the sofa which Nick took up most of the space on. Judy hopped up beside him while Edward slumped into an arm chair beside a dormant fireplace. "Poppy won't be too long with the tea. I'm so sorry, again! She goes mute around canines. We weren't expecting a fox to show up on our doorstep!"

"That's okay. I'm used to rabbits not trusting me." He gave Judy a sly smile while she elbowed him discreetly in the ribs.

"Is there anything you can tell us?" she asked Edward. "We know the twins were last seen in the park, but the information we have so far isn't very clear. It says you have a vague idea of the suspects?"

"Oh, I'd take that with a pinch of salt, Officer," said the rabbit. "My wife gave the information in a fit of panic. She's convinced she saw foxes hovering around the park. Thinks they took our Clover and Lily, she does. I just remember looking out of the bedroom window and seeing the park empty before she screamed the house down."

"I saw them." The small voice from the door drew all three pairs of eyes.

Poppy stood there with a tray rattling in her paws. Edward stood up to take the tray from her and placed it on the coffee table.

"I saw them," the angora said again. She dived towards Judy and took both her paws, keeping one eye on Nick. "You can't trust foxes! You can't!"

Judy felt her own nose begin to twitch as she suddenly felt very uncomfortable for her partner. Nick shifted in his seat and cleared his throat as he took a steaming cup of coffee from Edward's outstretched paw.

"I've told you, Poppy. You didn't see any foxes at the park."

"I did! They were there, with their bushy tails and pricked ears. I can recognise a fox, Edward! There were two of them, sat on a bench. Talking. While our children played in the park. The next time I looked, they were gone. And so were our babies!"

Nick sipped at his coffee and looked over at the quaking rabbit. "Why didn't you bring them inside if you were worried about their safety?"  
Poppy clasped both her paws over her mouth and crouched down on the floor beside Edward's arm chair, her wide blue eyes fixed on Nick and glistening with tears.

Edward looked from her to the two Officers and gave a sad sigh. "There's a perfectly valid reason for that, isn't there, love?" He placed a paw on her shivering shoulder. "It's because she doesn't want them to grow up terrified of canines like she did."

...

"Terrified of canines." Nick crossed his arms as he followed Judy across the park. "I must admit, I commend her for not wanting her children to grow up with her fears, but..."

He trailed off and Judy's ears flicked back expectantly. She peered at him over her shoulder as she came to a stop at the bench Poppy had pointed out to them.

"But what?" she asked.

Nick scratched behind his ear. "I'm just not sure she actually saw what she thought she saw."

"Neither am I." She eyed the bench, scanning for any evidence whatsoever. There was no fur stuck to the wood. It was much too smooth a surface for that. It had also rained that morning, so any scent would have been washed away. Droplets still clung to the metal seat. "But she's convinced she saw them, and if she's right then we might have a massive lead on twelve missing mammals."

"I'm just not sure what ties in rabbits, a squirrel, a badger and a polecat with sheep and alpacas. They're not all children, and they're not all prey," said Nick. "What if they're not even linked?"

"Then we'll have a lead on some of them."

"It's still completely perplexing." He stooped and picked up a thick piece of wood, turning it around in his paw. "What, has there been a beaver in here or something?"

Judy pulled her head out from beneath the bench to look at him, her eyes widening briefly. "Where did you find that?"

"On the floor." He nodded to a spot beside the bench. "It's full of teeth marks."

She stood up and took it from him, scanning her eyes over the surface. "They're not left by a beaver, that's for sure. They're too sharp for that."

"You're acting like it's evidence."

"It is. It was found by the bench Poppy pointed out to us."

"Come on, Carrots. You're not honestly saying a chewed up piece of wood is -" Nick watched Judy stuff the item into a clear, plastic bag and rolled his eyes. "Yup. She is. She's claiming it as evidence."

She ducked back beneath the bench, pawing through the sparse grass.

"I'll go look for more evidence then, shall I?" Nick shrugged as he turned away. "Never know, I might find something as exciting as chewed up wood."

He moved away, looking back at Judy with a small smile, not failing to notice the playful roll of the eyes she gave him.

There wasn't much else to note on the ground. The odd crisp packet that had blown free of the park's trash can fluttered across the ground, and a swing creaked lazily in the wind. At this time of day, there were no children playing. They were all at school. Something caught his eye and he paused by the gate and looked out at the road. There, on the tarmac.

"Tyre marks," he said, loud enough for Judy to jump beneath the bench creating a loud clang.

"What?" she asked, rubbing her sore head.

"Tyre marks," he said again. "Someone was trying to get away pretty fast to leave marks like that."

Judy joined his side, pulling out her phone to take a photo of the road.

"I think Mrs. Twitch might be right after all," said Nick. "Someone did indeed take her kids from the park, and they did it with wheels." He paused and gave her a sideways glance. "But I still don't think it was a fox."

...

 **Please R &R! =D**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - I'm so excited and moved by the attention and feedback from the first chapter that I've decided to update a day earlier than I planned! Ordinarily I was aiming for Monday, Wednesday, Friday, but I just couldn't wait XD I like making people happy with my writing. It's a real joy.**

 **To all those who have read, reviewed, faved and followed - thank you so much! =D I don't normally get faves and follows off a first chapter, it's normally when I've uploaded two or three, so since I wasn't really expecting any I'm over the moon!**

2

After such a busy morning, and with the evidence left at the lab for analysis, Judy and Nick had decided to grab lunch while they waited. Nick had wanted to go to Buga Burger while Judy had wanted to go to Salad Palace. In the end they had decided to meet in the middle and just go for ice cream at MooMoo's Kitchen.

Now each with a chocolate fudge sundae, the two friends could finally relax for the next thirty minutes.

Judy spooned a chocolate-laden mound of ice cream into her mouth as she listened intently to the end of Nick's story.

"And that's when I woke up again. Little guy snores like a bear," he said. "I decided to give up in the end. Even rolling him over does nothing. Fortunately he's having the leaky roof in his van fixed today."

Judy chuckled. Somehow she couldn't imagine such a small fennec fox making such a racket. "Well, that explains the bags under your eyes. I just thought you two had been up playing video games all night."

"Well..." He glanced up at the ceiling and scratched his ear. "Does two a.m. count as a late night to you, Carrots?"

"It does when you have to be up at six, Nick!"

He laughed and stirred the melting remains of his sundae. "You've shown up at work sleepy before now, Fluff."

"Only when Bucky and Pronk have their karaoke night."

He laughed again and Judy smiled as she scooped for the remains of her ice cream. A movement near the counter grabbed her attention and she looked up to see a spotted wildcat leaving the shop with a cone in each paw. He glanced back at the highland cow behind the counter who gave the feline a smile and wave. The cat returned it politely, but something about their attitude seemed forced.

Probably just having a bad day.

She shrugged it off and licked chocolate off her spoon, and almost choked as she caught her fox companion staring at her with a fond smile on his lips. She felt a deep blush forming under her fur and she froze with the spoon still in her mouth.

"What?" she choked out.

He shrugged and looked back down at his now empty glass. "Nothing. Shall we head back then? Surely the lab tests will be done by now?"

She made a grunt of agreement and let the spoon drop back into the glass as she slid from her seat. Still trying to hide her blush, she kept a little behind Nick as they left the cafe, avoiding his eye as he held the door open for her. It had been happening a lot lately and she was starting to question what was going on. Surely she shouldn't light up like a beacon so easily?  
"Well, I've had a coffee. I've had some ice cream." Nick folded his arms behind his head and nodded. "I think I'm awake now."

"Good." She gave him a sly smile. "Maybe you can keep up with the investigation now."

He placed a paw on his chest in feigned hurt. "You wound me, Carrots. I thought I was doing well today."

She hopped into the driver's seat of their car and turned on the engine as he climbed in beside her. "I have to admit, I'm quite excited to see what this evidence brings up."

"Once again, it's chewed wood, Carrots."

...

A skunk paced up and down the laboratory, muttering to herself as she read over notes and tweaked machines and chemical compounds, taking readings and other things that confused Judy greatly.

The rabbit cleared her throat to get the scientists attention.

"I'm sorry, Miss Odeur?" she said.

The skunk looked back at her and pushed her glasses up her nose. "Oh! Officer Hopps. You're here for your results, yes?"  
Judy waited patiently as Odeur busied herself in a pile of papers, once again muttering to herself under her breath. Judy glanced up at Nick who just shrugged and leant against the door frame. Finally, the skunk scientist let out an 'ahah!' and waddled over to them with a lone sheet of paper in her paws.

"You were quite right, Officer Hopps. Those marks were not made by a beaver."  
"Huh." Nick raised an eyebrow as he leant over Judy to read the small print on the paper.

There really wasn't much printed. Just the type of wood – oak – and an analysis of what the tooth marks could have been left by.

"As you can see," said Odeur, "the only match would be something from the canine family. A small one. That would rule out wolves for definite, unless they were a pup."  
"So... possibly a fox. It looks like Mrs. Twitch was right." Judy glanced up at Nick who had diverted his attention from the paper and stood aside from her with his arms crossed over his chest. "It looks like we might have a lead, Nick."  
"Really."

He moved from the room and she followed after him, still clutching the paper. She shouted a quick thank you to the skunk as the doors closed behind them.

"Yes, really, Nick! If she's right and the kidnappings are linked-"

"You know there are more small canines than foxes, right, Fluff?" He stopped and leant back against the wall, watching as she came to a sudden stop in front of him. Her mouth hung open as she searched for a response but he just shrugged again. "It looks like all rabbits are quick to blame foxes, huh?"  
"Of course there's more than one species! I was just linking the evidence to what Mrs. Twitch told us."

"Name one. Let's open the umbrella to more than one canine."

Judy paused for a moment, feeling her nose twitching as she looked away from the fox. "A dingo?"

Nick kicked himself back from the wall and turned away, waving at Judy over his shoulder.

"Where are you going?" she said as she chased after him.

"Home for the day. I'm tired, and I plan to go back to that park at nightfall and wait and see what suspicious canines show up."

"But we're on the day shift! Chief Bogo won't allow us to-"

"It doesn't need to be _us_ , Carrots. If you don't want to accompany me, you don't have to."

"Wait... why are you angry at _me_?"

"I'm not angry at you. It just seems that once again predators are being blamed for kidnapping prey and bunnies are so quick to blame foxes!"

"You need to face facts. No one is blaming _you_ for this. There are bad foxes just like there are bad sheep!" Judy was almost on her tiptoes now as she tried to make her point.

Nick's expression fell and he let out a sigh. "You're right. I'm sorry, Carrots. I'm tired. I'll meet you at yours later and we'll go and stake out the park. Okay? Fox or dingo, we'll catch them."

Judy rubbed the bridge of her nose and nodded. "Okay. I'll bring the car."

He gave her a sad smile and moved away silently down the corridor.

Judy sighed and fell back against the wall. It was going to be a long day.

...

It was dark. Judy's eyes weren't the best in the dark. She was very much a day rabbit and now she was feeling the toll of a busy day, which had ended with an afternoon of parking duty. After being shouted at on several occasions for dishing out parking tickets she was starting to get a headache. She sat behind the steering wheel of the undercover car outside her house as she waited for Nick. Sure enough, she spotted the fox strutting down her street, his bushy tail swishing from side to side as he moved with a new spring in his step.

"And now the tables are turned," she said to herself. "The fox is wide awake, and the bunny wants a nap." She yawned widely just as the passenger door opened.

"Oh dear!" said Nick. "You should have had a nap, Carrots."

"Get in," she said through gritted teeth.

He placed a coffee on her side of the cup holder and grinned. "I thought that might cheer you up."

It did. She sipped the hot, steaming coffee and gave him a small smile.

He gave her his trademark smirk. "Do you want me to drive and you can sleep on my shoulder?"

"No." She tried to stifle an oncoming blush attack and started up the engine. "You might crash it."

"Ouch!" He laughed. "Sometimes, Carrots, your words hurt."

She gave him a smile as she pulled out of her parking spot and made her way down the still bustling city road.

Twilight. It was now eight at night yet it was still as busy as it was during the day. She'd grown used to this in the year she'd been living in Zootopia, but it still amazed her that the city never slept.

Nick hummed to himself as Judy drove along silently. She was beginning to feel a lot happier knowing he was more relaxed in this investigation. Maybe his attitude really had been simply because he was tired.

It wasn't long until the familiar sign for Little Rodentia appeared on the corner, and they took the turning to the playground behind the Twitches house. Now the city felt quiet. In this small residential area there were few shops. Just a little supermarket on the corner which had now closed for the day. The only mammals in this area were merely passing through on their way home. Lights filled the windows of several houses along the street, including the lower back windows for the angora rabbit household. Judy thought she might have seen a little face peeking out through the blinds. The sheer thought of those worried parents tugged at her heart and she turned her attention back to the park.

Empty.

The swings swayed in the breeze on their rusty hinges, their creaking audible over the low rumble of the engine. She turned it off and immediately regretted it. Now that lonely creaking unsettled her.

Nick slurped noisily on a straw, startling her slightly. She eyed up the fox and his fast food drink carton and frowned.

"When did you get that?" she asked.

"When I got you your coffee. Wow, Carrots, for a cop you're not very observant are you?" He grinned at her crinkled nose and leant back in his seat. "You can try to be angry all you want, but it doesn't work. You're still just an adorable bunny."  
Her ears shot upright and she looked away with both paws clasped on the steering wheel, staring straight ahead at the empty park. Nick chuckled and returned to slurping up the dregs of his soda.

He really needed to stop doing that, otherwise she might end up permanently red.

"Mind if I put the radio on?" he asked.

"We're undercover. It'll just draw attention to us."

"It's not unusual for mammals to listen to music in a car you know."

"It is if it's not going anywhere," she said flatly.

"We could easily be waiting outside for someone in one of these houses." He nodded to the house beside them. "You bunnies. Always so cautious – wait..."

He turned to look out of the window and she followed his gaze. Two figures were walking past, talking in hushed yet deep tones. A pair of canines in heavy trench coats, their long, bushy tails swishing behind them as they strolled up the street. The taller one had something sticking out of his mouth which he spoke around, his white teeth glinting in the light from the street lamps.

"Foxes?" Judy leant towards Nick to get a better view of them. "Wait... no..."  
"Coyotes," said Nick. "And I think one of them is chewing wood." He looked at Judy and ruffled her ears. "Wow, Carrots! You smart little bunny!"

She flushed and wafted his paws away. "Shush! I can't hear them."

They both settled back in their seats, trying their best to look nonchalant. Judy examined her claws as she strained her ears to hear the hushed conversation. The few snippets she picked up had something to do with fur. Probably another complaint they'd have to deal with at the station tomorrow.

Then one of them said something that made both her and Nick stiffen.

"Hey, look. The park's empty today."

It would have been a rather innocent comment had the pair not laughed afterwards. The larger one hit his friend on the back with a strong paw and removed the wood from his jaws, flicking it towards a trash can. He missed.

"Coyotes. Wood. The park's empty..." Judy stared straight ahead as she mulled this over.

"I think we should follow them," said Nick.

"How? They're on foot."

"Your brain really doesn't work as well when you're tired does it, Carrots? We walk." He paused with his paw on the door, waiting for the pair to get far enough away that they wouldn't hear them.

Judy didn't need telling twice. If these coyotes were responsible for taking the twin rabbits then one way or another she was going to find out.

She also really wanted to cuff Nick around the ears for the remark on her intelligence, but now really wasn't the time.

She followed the fox out of the car and stuck to the fences, the pair of them not taking their eyes off the retreating trench coats. When they vanished around a corner, they picked up their pace, trotting as silently as they could to the end of the street. The two suspects were now heading towards an alley that led away from the residential area to a downtown market.

Overflowing trash cans decorated the alley, while an indescribable gunk dripped down the walls. Judy clasped a paw over her nose to block out the worst of the putrid smell while trying to avoid the questionable objects on the floor and still stay close to Nick. He managed to dodge every bit of trash with an oddly silent agility and make it to the mouth of the alley, casting his eyes left and right and keeping his ears forwards. One of them flicked back to Judy as her foot collided with an empty soda can.

"Sorry," she whispered.

He placed a paw out to stop her and looked around again. "They're over there," he nodded to his right.

She peered around his side at what was now three coyotes. One of them was loading boxes into a van from behind a small market stand. Above it was a sign that read 'Wool Rugs'.

"They're just entrepreneurs?" She shook her head. The evidence had all been there. Yet they were just a pair of coyotes who probably spent their lunch hour sitting in a quiet park in a pleasant neighbourhood.

Nick placed a paw on her shoulder. "Wait here. I'll go and check them out."

"Alone?"

"Yes. Trust me. I'll get the information you need. Don't move a muscle unless you have to, okay?"

She hesitated for a moment, meeting the fox's green eyes. Reluctantly, she nodded and ducked back into the alley.

He was by the market in no time flat, his cheerful voice reaching her ears.

"Hey! I see you sell wool rugs. I have a bit of experience in that trade myself."

One of the coyotes – the new third one – crinkled his muzzle as he eyed Nick up and down.

"I'm not surprised," he said. "You're a fox."

"Yes, and I'm very good at what I do," he said. "I bet you don't get much trade here. There's another stall a little further down that sells rugs. I could give you some pointers; ones that would up your trade by... I'd say double?"

"Nick, what are you doing?" Judy whispered.

"Double eh?" The coyote scratched his head as he looked at the other two.

The trench coat pair stood beside the van, the smaller one trailing his eyes over the fox as though he couldn't quite make him out.

"All right," the third one finally said. "You've got yourself a deal, fox. Get in the van."

"The van, huh?" Nick scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Where are you-"

A large box was promptly thrust into his arms, knocking him slightly off balance.

"You can make yourself useful too," said the third coyote.

"All right then. In the van we go."

Judy watched as Nick vanished into the van and the coyotes grabbed the last of the boxes and locked the doors behind them. It pulled away, silently, trundling off down the winding streets of the city.

"No..." She bolted from the alley with a cry of, "Nick!"

It was no use. She couldn't catch up with a moving van and the undercover car was parked too far away. By the time she'd retrieved it, she would have lost it.

All she had now was the licence plate number which she muttered over and over to herself as she jotted it down with a shaky paw.

Then her mobile phone beeped in her pocket.

She pulled it out and pulled up the message, both relieved and dreading the fact it was from Nick.

All it said was ' _I'm okay. Don't worry._ '

It was all she could do to not worry.

...

 **Please R &R! =D**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - Thanks again for all reviews, faves and follows! =D**

3

There was absolutely no way Judy could tell Chief Bogo what had happened.

She'd run it over in her mind over and over again. It was much too risky. Not only had they gone undercover without permission, Nick's act to gain information from the coyotes was too... convincing. Not only had he taken a massive risk, there was the possibility he'd likely be pulled up as a suspect himself.

Several hours later, things were becoming even more worrying. No matter how many times she tried, she just kept getting his answer machine. She hadn't been able to sleep a wink she was so worried, and it hadn't helped matters that the licence plate she'd noted had belonged to a stolen bike and not a van. That solidified her worries. The coyotes were certainly suspicious.

With every passing hour she was starting to feel very alone, and strolling into the ZPD without her partner only amplified the hollow feeling in her chest.

"Good morning!" Clawhauser cheered from behind his desk. His face fell when he saw her and he pushed himself up to see through the door. "Isn't Nick with you?"

"No." She paused and rubbed her ears, currently held flat against her head. She hadn't really prepared for this. No Nick... and he obviously hadn't called in himself. "He's... exhausted. He won't be coming in."

Her stomach knotted as she saw the sad expression on the cheetah's face while he nodded his understanding.

"Poor little guy," he said. "Maybe he should try some sleeping pills?"

Judy made a non-committal grunt. She hated to lie, but right now she felt she didn't have much choice. What if Nick was fired? Or in so much trouble a team hunting him down might cost him his life? She bit her lip at that thought, trying to shove it out of her mind. She didn't need that right now.

She strolled into the bullpen, feeling the cheetah's eyes on her back as he watched her vanish into the room. Most of the officers were already there, watching as she took her spot on the oversized chair. Alone.

Chief Bogo wasn't far behind her and he glanced around the room, his eyes falling on the lone rabbit drowned in her chair.

"What? No Wilde?" He shrugged and looked down at his notes. "You can tell him, Hopps, that I expect an explanation off him for his absence."  
"Oh, he has one," she said hesitantly.

Bogo wasn't really listening. Instead, he pinned another photo to the board of missing mammals. Judy's heart did a somersault. The face in the photo was familiar. A brown alpaca.

"Is that-" She was cut off as the buffalo turned to face them.

"The alpaca who came here with a complaint yesterday? Yes it is. Apparently he never went home to his family. I want Fangmeyer and Delgato to deal with this case." He looked around the room, shouting out commands to all the officers until only Judy remained.

She knew exactly what was coming.

"Hopps? I can't have you out there alone without your partner. Parking duty."

...

Judy had to admit it hadn't been her best record for dishing out parking tickets. Despite how she was feeling she had still tried her best, but she'd lost the spring in her step. As she typed out tickets she kept re-living the previous night over and over again. Was there anything she could have done to prevent all this? Even if she hadn't accompanied Nick he would still have gone without her. He'd made that pretty clear.

No. There was nothing she could have done. And now she herself was dealing with her own missing mammal case. Her own partner. Missing, and the ZPD hadn't a clue.

Yet.

She grit her teeth together and stuffed a ticket behind the windscreen wiper of a convertible mere seconds before its porcupine driver returned and became even more prickly as he waved the ticket at her. She did her best to ignore him until he rammed the ticket into his coat pocket and sped off down the street.

"Well, that's another ticket for you," she muttered to herself as she made note of the porcupine's speed racing.

She was beginning to think it didn't matter how many citizens were angry with her today. She had already come to the realisation that one lone, small rabbit was about to track down a group of coyotes. One rabbit amongst a group of canines, who unlike her best friend, were probably not very friendly. A chill ran down her spine putting her fur on end and she leapt out of her skin as another parking meter pinged loudly a couple of feet away. She berated herself for being so jumpy and popped a ticket into the window of the little hamster car.

She really wasn't too happy with her plan. Bogo's voice echoed through her mind. ' _I can't have you out there alone without your partner._ '

"No, Judy," she told herself. "You can't do this alone."

Did she really have to tell the ZPD? Put Nick's job – and life – at risk?

"Oi, cat! Get off my tail!"

She looked up at the familiar, deep voice and spotted its owner immediately. A small fennec fox waved a tiny fist at a surprised feline who ducked into a shop with such speed she almost didn't see them at all. The fox smoothed out his tail, muttering under his breath, and ducked between a giraffe's legs to get out of the way, casting another glance back at the shop.

A grin spread across her face and she bolted across the road, causing a red car to beep at her angrily.

"Finnick!" she shouted.

The fox's ears pricked up and flicked towards her, followed by his brown eyes. He appeared mildly surprised to see Judy, losing the disgruntled expression he'd been wearing.

"Well, if it ain't the fuzz," he said. "I have you know I'm back in good time for my van, rabbit. You can keep your ticket to yourself."

"I'm not giving you a ticket, Finnick," she said. "I... actually need your help."  
He raised his eyebrows and laughed, slapping himself on the knee. "Me?! Help the fuzz?! Not on your life, Hopps!"  
He strolled away from her, still laughing and causing a family of gerbils to warily step aside. Judy watched after him for a moment and shook herself, giving chase after the small fox.

"You won't be helping me, exactly," she said. "It's for Nick. I... think he's in trouble."  
"What's that, Hopps?" He looked back at her, his brow furrowed. "You let somethin' happen to Nick?"

"No, I didn't let-" She faltered and bit her lip, looking away from the small fox. Part of her really did blame herself.

Finnick was still watching her, but the irritation had left his face. "What's happened?"

"I can't really discuss it here." She looked around at the bustling mammals. Some of them were watching them, while others had found their parking tickets and were giving her leers.

Finnick let out a long sigh and waved a paw. "Alright, rabbit. We can talk in my van."

Judy bounced on her toes and trotted after him. "Oh, thank you! I really appreciate your help-"

"Let me stop you there, fuzz. I never said I was gonna help you. I just wanna know what's happened to my brother, Nick."

Judy clasped her paws together as she fell into pace beside him. "So do I."

He gave her a worried sideways glance but said nothing.

They walked in silence for a moment and he rounded a corner where his van was sat waiting for him beside a parking meter. Judy was pleasantly surprised to find the meter hadn't expired.

Finnick pulled open the back doors of the van and nodded for her to climb inside. She obliged and glanced around at the dingy interior. It wasn't exuberantly decorated. An old hob stood at one side while a sofa she assumed pulled out into a bed sat against the other.

He closed the doors behind him, flicked on an old analogue radio and paused at a small fridge, pulling out two sodas. He tossed one at Judy which she almost dropped, then flopped onto the sofa with a laugh.

"You catch like a bunny," he said. "You sittin' down or what?"

She perched on the sofa beside him and sipped at her drink which she realised was root beer. Her nose crinkled and she placed the can on the small coffee table.

"So you gonna tell me what's happened to Nick?" he asked.

"Yes." She tried to relax back in the sofa, but it wasn't easy. She settled for leaning on her knees instead. "You already know mammals have gone missing, don't you?"

Finnick nodded, his look prompting her to continue.

She took a deep breath and relayed the previous day, from investigating the missing angoras and the mother's reaction to seeing Nick all the way to him going into the coyotoes' van. She finished it off with her dead end - no trail on the license plate.

"But you know where their stall is, right?" said Finnick. "You just go there and find your coyote, Hopps. It ain't no dead end!"

"Yeh..." She stared down at her paws and twiddled her thumbs together. It wasn't a thought that hadn't crossed her mind. It had been up there along with the idea of a rabbit confronting three coyotes.

Finnick let out a laugh. "I get it now! You're scared!"

She placed her paw over her twitching nose and muttered into her paw. Always a give away.

"That's why you came to me! All right, fuzz!" He ducked under the sofa and pulled out his baseball bat, smacking it into his open paw. "We'll go find those coyotes and we'll get Nick back! Then, you an' I, cop? We don't speak 'bout this again, you hear me?"

A huge smile spread across her face and she leapt to her feet, clasping her paws together. "Oh, thank you!"

"Oi!" He pointed his bat at her. "Don't get all cushy on me, Hopps. Finnick don't do cushy."

She laughed and folded her arms. "All right. I'll lay off the cushy. How are we getting there?"

"You kiddin' me? We drive. I ain't walkin' all that way."

He pushed the doors open and hopped outside. The sunlight was almost blinding after being sat inside a van with no windows. She pulled herself into the passenger seat and refrained herself from offering to drive herself as she watched Finnick crane his neck to see over the dashboard. She'd seen him drive before. He was perfectly capable.

As soon as the engine roared to life, the radio blared out rap music, startling a passing deer so much his hooves left the ground. Finnick wasn't remotely fazed as he pulled out of his parking spot. Judy caught sight of the parking meter with its red 'expired' sign and decided to say nothing.

It was mainly her fault after all.

...

The market lunch rush had long come to an end as many stalls prepared to pack up and go home for the day. Finnick had parked his van beside another meter since most of the market was heavily pedestrianised. Judy kept an eye open for the familiar alley she'd been hiding in the previous night, desperate for a pointer towards the coyotes' wool rug stall. So far, there had been no sign of it, and she was beginning to doubt her memory of its location.

"It looks so much different during the day," she said.

Finnick stayed quiet, not wanting to draw attention to himself since he was lugging a baseball bat. He'd said it was easier for others to just think he was a cub on his way home from baseball practice which hadn't come as a surprise to Judy since his main disguise was a mute toddler.

She was scanning over the shops running alongside the market, trying to spot that elusive alleyway, when Finnick grabbed her sleeve and pointed his bat to a long table. An antelope was folding up elaborate rugs and placing them neatly into boxes below his table.

"No. That's not it," she said with a shake of her head. Then it hit her.

Hadn't Nick told the coyotes they had competition with rugs on the market? From what he'd said, they could be close.

She stood up on her tiptoes to try and see beyond the stall, but it was no use. Instead, she trotted past the rug merchant, searching for any sign of a coyote, rugs, the familiar van.

Nothing.

They were coming to the edge of the market now and they'd found nothing.

She came to a stop, her arms hanging limply at her side as she stared helplessly at the remaining stalls. Could it be that they'd moved?

"I hate to break it to you, Hopps," said Finnick. "But there's been no sign of a coyote in this market."

A look to her left revealed the alley, complete with its heaping trash cans and littered floor.

"I don't believe it," she said. "It was here."

"You sure?"

"I'm certain. I was hiding in there." She pointed to the alley then turned to look behind her, exactly at the spot where she'd seen the van. There was no market stall. Not even an empty table.

Finnick shook his head. "Well it's clearly gone. Maybe they don't work Thursdays."

"That's... always a possibility."

She turned to head back the way they'd come, pausing beside a stall selling clothes for giraffes.

"Excuse me," she said.

The giraffe behind the table looked up from her magazine and lowered her neck to meet Judy's eyes.

"Yes?" she said.

"I was wondering if you could help me. Was there a stall around here ran by coyotes?"

"You mean the wool rugs?" The giraffe lowered her magazine and pushed her glasses up her nose. "They've been here every day this week, lovey. But they didn't show up this morning."

Judy tapped her foot on the floor and crossed her arms, glancing over at the empty spot. Every day. And now they were gone. There was a chance Finnick was right, but something didn't settle well with her. What if they'd found out Nick was a police officer and found it too risky to set up their stall?

"Is there a problem?" the giraffe asked.

"Yes, and I think you've helped me to uncover it. If you hear anything more," she handed a small card with her number to the giraffe, "please call me."

The giraffe seemed rather taken aback. She took the card and nodded before ducking back behind her magazine.

"Smooth," said Finnick as they left the stall.

Judy sighed and ran a paw down her face. "I really don't know what I'm going to do. I guess... I have to tell the ZPD."

"You know what, Hopps, I never thought much of the police. But I can tell you one thing, Nick's happy in his new job. There's no way he was helpin' those coyote out."

"I know he wasn't!"

"Yeh, but who's to say the rest o' you cops is gonna believe that? The word of his best friend and the world's first bunny cop should suffice, right?" He pointed his baseball bat at her chest, stopping her in her tracks. "But you get more cops involved, it might cost him more than his job, you hear me? We don't know what those coyote are up to. And we don't know what's happened to him."

"I know all that, but I can't do this alone, Finnick."

"You're not doin' it alone. You got me." He thumped himself in the chest and turned away, marching back through the market. "And we're gonna rescue our Nick, alright?"

Most of the passing mammals had stopped to watch him with wary eyes (or amusement in the case of the larger mammals). So much for his facade.

She caught up with him and fell into pace beside him, clasping her paws behind her back.

"Thank you, Finnick," she said quietly.

He flashed her a snarl and clutched his bat tightly at his side. "I told you to lay off the cushy."

She smiled and pulled her phone out of her pocket. If she'd been expecting a message or a missed phone call, she was disappointed. With a sigh she dialled Nick's number and put the phone to her ear. Ring after ring after ring until she hit his voice mail.

A flood of nausea flowed through her stomach and she hung up, placing her phone back into her pocket.

Worried sick didn't even begin to describe how she was feeling. If it weren't for Finnick offering to help she might be curled up in a fit of tears on her bedroom floor. For someone who often joked at the police he was still willing to work with one to help his friend. Was he as worried as she was? A lump rose in her throat and she could hear Nick's voice in her head jabbing at her for being emotional.

She swiped tears away from her eyes as discreetly as she could but it was obvious the fennec fox had noticed as he shifted uneasily and stepped away from her, diverting his gaze to the names of the shops they passed.

Before too long they were back at his van and he pulled the passenger door open for her before scooting around to the driver's side. She blinked at him in bewilderment as she pulled herself inside.

"Before you say anythin'," he said bluntly, "I was worried you wouldn't see the handle through your bleary eyes."

She chuckled and wiped at her tears again. "And here I thought you were turning soft."

He glared at her and popped on a pair of shades. "You need to be careful, Hopps, or you'll be walkin' home."

She laughed again and pulled the door shut before buckling herself in. As Finnick turned on the engine, a strange chime came from Judy's pocket. He stared at the ignition for a moment before turning his eyes onto Judy as realisation set in that the strange noise had been her mobile.

She hadn't been expecting it herself. Her heart was racing as she pulled out her phone and a loud gasp came from her throat when she saw Nick's name plastered across her screen. Shaking paws weren't making it easy to open her message, but once she did her heart did a backflip.

' _I'm okay. Meet me in the Canyonlands at 10pm._ '

Her breath was coming in heavy bursts as she tried to process this. Something about it felt wrong, but she couldn't put her claw on it.

"Well, Fuzz? What is it?" Finnick leant across his seat and took the phone from her trembling paws. He shook his head and looked up at her. "I don't like it."

She swallowed drily and tried to stop her twitching nose. "Neither do I."

...

 **Please R &R! =D**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - Man I've been writing slow this week...**

 **Does anyone else agree that Finnick needs more fanfiction? He certainly didn't have enough screen time lol.**

4

"So this is where we're getting help?" Finnick leant on the steering wheel as he stared at the sign for the DMV.

"Yes." Judy hopped from the van. "He's one of the fastest drivers I know."

It had been decided, since they couldn't very well turn up with an army of police officers with their gun's blazing, that they needed to take a more subtle approach. Something about Nick's message was very suspicious and left them both in doubt as to what to expect when they arrived at the Canyonlands that night. Judy was adamant they were going to take every precaution possible. That meant getting help from a suitable driver who could be their speedy getaway mobile.

"You know this place is run by a bunch o' sloths, right?" Finnick snorted.

Judy looked down at him with a raised eyebrow. "I'm actually surprised you know that. I wasn't even sure you had a driving license."

"Well, the amount of times I've been pulled over for under-age driving, it just seemed a lot simpler to have one."

She couldn't help but chuckle at this as they strolled into the DMV, despite Finnick's leer burning into the side of her head.

"It always baffles me how someone can confuse a fox in his thirties for a toddler, but never question a hamster or a shrew," he muttered.

She bit back the urge to tell him it was because he was so small and cute and instead focused her attention on one of the sloths behind the counter. If rabbits didn't like being called cute she wasn't going to aim such a degrading word at a fox. A flash of her badge cut the grumbling from the queue as they dodged around it and made a beeline for the familiar sloth.

"Good afternoon, Flash," she said with a smile.

A slow smile spread across the sloth's face and he leant forward slightly in his seat. "Hello... Judy. How... can I... help... you?"

"Actually, we'd like a private word," she said. "Is there anywhere we can talk?"

The confused sloth looked around slowly then leant further over the counter until he spotted the small fennec fox. A grin spread across his face but Judy raised a paw and shook her head before he could coo over what he likely thought was a child.

"Finnick's a friend of Nick's," she said.

"Ah! Pleased... to meet... you." He stood up and motioned for Judy to follow him into the back of the DMV.

She raised the counter and scooted through it, letting it drop closed after Finnick. The room he led them into looked more like somewhere the sloths would have lunch than a meeting room. Arm chairs and sofas were pressed up against the wall amongst coffee tables that still had empty Pawbucks coffee cartons on them and scrunched up paper bags sat in a nest of crumbs.

Flash pulled himself into an arm chair and turned to Judy and Finnick who were already sat waiting on the sofa.

"Before you say anything," Judy began quickly, "we're not here on official police business. The ZPD know nothing about this. You see... Nick's found himself in a spot of trouble with a group of coyotes and we think he might have been kidnapped."

Flash's jaw dropped in slow motion.

"So we kinda need your help," she went on. "I got a message off Nick but I don't think he actually sent it. It's telling us to meet -"

"Nick... has been... kidnapped?" Flash asked.

Judy paused, just in case he wanted to add anything, then nodded. "Yes. I got a message off him and I don't think he actually sent it. It's telling us to meet him at the Canyonlands at ten pm and we really need your help."

"How... do you... expect... me..."

"We need you to drive."

"To... help?"

Judy felt her foot tapping against the sofa completely of its own accord, but she repeated herself as politely and calmly as she could. "We need you to drive."

Finnick smashed his paw into his face. "Judy, I don't think a sloth is the best-"

"I love... driving." Flash's face split into a grin. "When... do you... need... me?"

"Oh, thank you, Flash!" said Judy. "I think we should get there early, so could we meet you back here at nine?"

"Great. I'll... make... sure... that... I'll be... ready... by then." He stretched out a paw and Judy took it.

It was the slowest handshake she'd ever had in her life.

...

Judy hadn't wanted to go back home, so Finnick begrudgingly let the exhausted rabbit take a nap in his van while he sat outside on a deck chair. He sipped at a soda while he read a magazine through his shades, his trusty baseball bat propped up against the chair's frame.

They hadn't left the DMV, instead staying parked outside at an expired meter that Judy used her police authority to bypass.

The sun had begun to set behind the Zootopia skyscrapers now, which meant he could comfortably remove his shades but also meant it was growing harder to read in such dim light. One of the street lamps flickered on as though it sympathised for his difficulty and he quickly checked the time on his phone.

Eight thirty pm.

It wouldn't be long now.

He should probably wake the rabbit up. The doors to the van were closed fast, locked from the inside. Not a peep came from beyond them. He firmly knocked on the door, creating a clang that cut through the silence.

"Oi, Hopps! It's almost time! Wake up!"

The rabbit's silent footsteps were betrayed by the rickety van as it swayed a little under her weight. She opened the door and the sight of the sleepy rabbit rubbing her eyes and straightening out her ears made him drop his guard. He diverted his gaze to the DMV as he tried to put it back up and turned back to his chair.

"Think you can wake up in thirty minutes?" he scoffed.

She yawned loudly and hopped from the van. "I'm not exactly nocturnal but I think I can manage."

"'Not exactly nocturnal'. Your night vision better not let us down, Hopps. Not while Nick's life's at stake."

She grinned from ear to ear and crossed her arms as she leant back against the van. "That's where my hearing comes in handy!"

He gave her a half smile and chuckled. "I like your can-do attitude. Grab a soda. You'll need the caffeine."

Judy obliged, choosing a melon soda from the fridge then joined him back outside. She opted to perch on the curb, keeping one eye on the DMV. They'd long since closed and sloths were now leaving, grabbing their cars as they prepared to go home. It always amazed her that they could easily drive at the same speed as the other mammals. It left her wondering how they managed the gears.

The final thirty minutes dragged by as they both sat in silence, Finnick with his nose in his magazine. Neither of them really knew what to talk to the other about. They both led very different lives.

When nine pm finally rolled around, Judy stood up with a contented sigh and turned towards the DMV. Finnick quickly popped his chair away and locked his van before trotting after the rabbit. Flash wasn't difficult to find. His was one of the very few remaining cars and Judy could spot the sleek, red vehicle in a parking lot with ease. The white racing stripe gave it away in an instant.

The sloth was already sat behind the wheel and he smiled widely when he spotted the rabbit.

"Judy! Ready... to... leave?"

She returned his smile and slid into the passenger seat, quickly buckling herself up. "Of course! And you're sure you don't mind helping me? I'd hate to put you out, Flash."

He waved a paw at her. "I'm... happy... to help."

She took a moment to look around at the car as the sloth slowly turned the key in the ignition. There was one thing missing that made her nod her head in realisation.

"Automatic. Huh... that answers my quest- _tion_!"

The car lurched forwards as Flash put his foot down, speeding out of the parking lot and onto the street. Finnick let out a yell of surprise from the back seat and Judy heard him fasten his seatbelt over the sound of the exhaust pipe's overly loud muffler.

"You don't need to go so fast just yet, Flash!" she wailed.

The sloth just gave her a toothy grin and turned back to the road as he swiftly dodged a wagon in a narrow street, the wheels briefly brushing over the pavement. If she wasn't sat in the passenger seat requesting his help, he'd have a hefty fine headed his way.

What was she thinking? She shook her head sharply and put on her most authoritative leer.

"Flash! In the name of the law, slow down!"

The sloth's smile was replaced with a look of remorse and he brought the car to a slower, saner pace.

Finnick chuckled and slapped his paws on his lap. "'In the name of the law'?! Come on, Hopps! You're better'n that!"

Yes. She had to admit, that had sounded rather cheesy and cliché. She hid her blush and leant back in her seat with her arms crossed as Flash led them much more slowly towards the Canyonlands. In fact... it might have been too slow.

"You can speed up a little," she said, then added once more for good measure, "A _little_."

...

The heat from the Canyonlands contrasted greatly with the cool air from the car's air conditioner. Judy was beginning to wonder if she should have left the window up, but it just felt crucial to be able to hear the slightest noise in the pitch black of the canyons. Without the headlights on she felt very exposed despite the metal confines of the car. She could hear Finnick behind her as he shifted around to look out of the windows, searching the surrounding area with his impeccable night vision. Immediately she felt reassured in his ability to see in the dark and tried to relax in her seat, just keeping her ears pricked for any sign of movement.

Flash was motionless beside her and she could just make out his form staring straight ahead with both paws fastened around his steering wheel. Braced to escape at any moment. At least he was ready.

' _It's just a stakeout_ ,' she told herself. ' _You're not here to fight anybody. And if it really was Nick who sent the message then bonus, you found him._ '

A soft sound reached her ears and they twitched towards it. A pair of feet moving towards them. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she fought against the urge to leap out of the car shouting for Nick, but there was something else. Another pair of feet. No, three. Four? She strained her eyes against the dark and leant forwards in her seat. Was that a tall figure moving towards her? She couldn't tell.

"We're surrounded," said Finnick quietly. "Coyotes and wildcats everywhere."

Her spine stiffened as every fur stood on end and she swallowed drily. Whoever was out there could see them clearly.

"Came in a car, eh?" A gruff voice chuckled. She was certain she recognised it. The image of the large coyote behind the wool rug stall came into her mind and her nose crinkled into a frown. "Come out, or we'll drag you out."

A chunk resounded through the car as Flash activated the child locks and Judy's window hissed back up to separate them from the mammals outside. Several of them erupted into laughter and she heard the familiar sound of a gun cocking.

"Prepare to be peppered with bullets, cop!" the large coyote growled.

Judy's heart leapt into her throat. "Okay, Flash! Move it!"

The car's headlights dazzled the coyotes and wildcats and they raised their arms to shield their eyes. Most of them had guns which some of them dropped with the surprise of the sudden bright light. Flash put his paw down on the accelerator and the car roared across the sandy ground, blowing debris up behind them. Shouts and coughing rose into the air above the sound of the car's gritty muffler as it sped through the canyons. The coyotes and wildcats yelped and leapt aside in a desperate bid to get away, but a couple didn't quite make it, bouncing off the bonnet and rolling over the roof of the car.

"Be careful!" Judy screeched. "You're going to hurt someone!"

"I think it's a little late for that, fuzz!" said Finnick.

Judy looked back at a wildcat as he struggled to his feet, the others reluctant to help him as they gave chase after the car. Bullets blared through the air, striking the car with a series of chinks. One of them whizzed through the rear window and shattered the windscreen on its way back out, narrowly missing Judy's left ear. Flash's expression slowly turned sad as he stared through the jagged mess of cracks that was now his front window.

The gang of predators vanished out of view as the car rounded one of the many sandy cliff faces of the Canyonlands, and their angry shouts faded away as they were swiftly left behind. Judy didn't complain as Flash sped down the streets of Zootopia. Her heart was still racing, hammering against her rib cage. It had been a narrow escape.

She glanced back at Finnick on the back seat, his small muzzle pulled into a frown and his baseball bat clutched so tightly in his paws his knuckles had turned white.

She was certain all three of them were now thinking the same thing. The whole ordeal was a trap. Nick had indeed been kidnapped, and that gang of coyotes and wildcats knew he was involved with the police, and this was just a way to drag out the rabbit cop who kept trying to ring him.

That also meant they were responsible for kidnapping those two bunnies, and most likely the rest of the mammals too.

Her mind was reeling over it. Trick the fox into the van. Find out he's a cop. Use his phone to lure his partner into ambush in a neutral location and if word gets out make him look like the bad guy. Get rid of both cops and cover up their tracks.

She settled back into her seat and took in a steadying breath. "Do you still think it's too dangerous to get the rest of the ZPD involved?"

Flash looked at her out of the corner of his eye but said nothing.

"I really don't know, Hopps," said Finnick. "But I can say we're certainly gonna need a better plan."

There was silence in the car for a moment as she mulled over his words, but his next sentence sent chills down her spine and tears stung her eyes.

"I just hope Nick's still alive."

...

 **Please R &R! =D**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N - This is probably my favourite chapter so far. I shall say nothing else.**

5

Judy fell backwards onto her bed with a hefty sigh. It was so exhausting trying to remain positive when she was worried sick, and the phone call she'd just had with her parents had drained what remaining energy she'd had left. She'd had to dance around any conversation about Nick and when her parents had asked how he was doing all she could answer was 'fine'.

She didn't know if he was fine or not, but she'd not wanted to worry her parents. The new kidnappings had them worried enough for her safety and she didn't need to add the worry of her missing partner to their growing stress. Her father would be rushing over to take her back home if they thought her own safety was at risk.

As soon as she closed her eyes the door to the room next to her slammed shut and the voices of her two neighbours rang clearly through the walls as they bickered over what movie to watch. She'd grown used to it over the past year and found herself drifting off to sleep anyway.

She had just started to dream about turning up at the ZPD to find Nick in their usual spot, and no sooner had she asked him how he'd managed to escape, the voice of Pronk shattered her dream and his hoof pounded on her wall, shaking the cups on her little shelf.

"Hey, neighbour!" he boomed. "You awake?! There's a suspicious feline outside!"

She leapt from her bed and pressed her face against the window, her eyes searching the street. They fell on the suspect immediately. A wildcat. Dressed in a trench coat and wide rimmed hat. He was cautiously creeping towards Finnick's van.

Of course. She'd almost forgotten with the stress of the phone call that he'd told her he'd be waiting outside. He'd seemed very reluctant to leave and she had no idea why.

"What are you doing, Mister Cat?" she muttered.

She grabbed her police vest and pulled it on over her pyjama top, grabbing her keys on the way out of the room. Her bedroom door locked itself behind her and she made a beeline for the stairs, bounding down them two at a time until she reached the front door. As it opened, she spotted a long, stripy tail as the cat turned and fled across the road to vanish beyond the opposite flats.

"That only makes you even more suspicious," she said as she began to give chase.

And stopped.

In her haste she'd not grabbed the rest of her uniform and the floor was wet, soaking through her bunny-eared slippers and the hem of her pink pyjama bottoms. She gave one last frustrated look at the narrow street and thumped the side of her fist against the wall.

There was no way she'd catch him now. Not in soggy slippers in the dark.

Instead, she went to Finnick's van and knocked on the door. Within moments she heard the familiar "Who is it?!" as the door flew open, revealing Finnick in a onesie with his baseball bat. He looked down at Judy with an air of surprise, lowered the bat and shook his head.

"Whaddya want?" he grumbled.

"There was a wildcat poking around your van," she said.

He raised both eyebrows and peered over her shoulder.

"He's gone now," she said. "But I don't know what they were doing here. If I were to guess then I'd say they tracked us somehow."

"And you were chasing after them in a police vest and pyjama bottoms?" he asked. "Hardly appropriate is it?"

She crinkled her nose in a frown. "I was in a rush! And I'd just woken up as well. If it weren't for Pronk banging on my wall then you'd likely be fighting a wildcat right now!"

She glanced down at his bat and mentally confirmed if that were the case the cat would probably be unconscious in a puddle.

"Alright then, Hopps. I'll keep an ear open for wildcats." He turned away and began to close the door, but Judy stuck her paw in the way.

"Wait."

He narrowed his eyes at her and sighed. "What is it now?"

She stood there mulling over her response. I'm worried? What if he comes back?

"I just think," she said, "that you might be safer indoors."

"I can always just not answer if someone knocks." It was clear the thought didn't settle well with him as he looked at his bat then let it fall to his side with a sigh. "Whatever. I might get more sleep if I stay indoors. Gimme a sec."

He locked the van door and Judy's ears pricked up as he shuffled around inside. They opened again quite quickly and he hopped onto the floor now wearing the same outfit he'd been in earlier that day. She wasn't sure why he'd felt the need for a change but she didn't question it.

Instead she led him up to her room and he immediately flopped onto the floor with a yawn.

"You're okay on the floor?" she pulled a blanket from beneath the bed.

"You're a lass," he said. "You take the bed. It's your digs anyway."

She muttered a thank you and offered him the blanket before climbing under the sheets and staring at the ceiling.

"Hey, she bought a fox in with her!" boomed one of her neighbours. "Reckon that cat was up to somethin' then, rabbit?"

"He was clearly up to something!" said the other. "Use you're common sense, Bucky!"

"Shut up, Pronk!"

"No, you shut up!"

"No, you shut up!"

Finnick sat up and stared wide-eyed at the wall. "You have to put up with that every night? I think I might have got more sleep in my van after all." He fell back down and turned his back on her, snuggling his tail up to his chest as he huddled under the blanket.

Judy felt her face split into a smile. It seemed rather out of character for him to cuddle into a ball like that. Although she couldn't blame him. Fox tails did look rather snuggly. She tore her eyes away and faced the wall, pulling her bed sheet up to her chin. After a little while the oryx duo's argument died down and she found herself drifting off to sleep. That's when the snoring started, just like Nick had told her.

Fortunately, it manifested into her dream as the loud muffler of Flash's car as it raced along a track around the Canyonlands.

...

Judy was actually feeling very refreshed the next morning. She hopped out of the van's passenger side as Finnick fed the meter.

"You've got my number," he said firmly. "If you need me then ring me."

There was a lot of emphasis on the 'need me' made even more pointed by his narrowed eyes.

"Don't worry," said Judy. "I won't disturb you unless absolutely necessary. Just don't forget that we're meeting Flash at Pawbucks at five pm. He said he's getting off work early."

Finnick nodded and put his wallet back in his pocket. "Don't worry, Hopps, I ain't forgot. Hope you don't mind me refusin' to park close to the station."

"Not at all. I'd quite like a walk anyway."

She bade him farewell and trotted along the busy sidewalk, dodging larger pedestrians and trying not to step on the much smaller ones.

Her positive mood was somewhat shattered at Clawhauser's sullen look as he noticed yet again she'd turned up to work without Nick.

"Still not well?" he asked softly.

She shook her head and forced a smile. "Don't worry. He'll be back soon if I can help it."

He grinned widely and took a bite out of one of his donuts. "It's nice to know you look out for each other! It makes me feel all warm inside."

She chuckled and slipped into the bullpen, pulling herself up onto her seat which felt so much larger and made her feel quite alone. Chief Bogo was already there and she realised she'd disturbed what he'd been talking to the rest of the force about.

"You're late, Hopps," he said.

She flinched and checked the time on her phone. She actually was. By about five minutes.

"Oh well," Bogo went on. "There's a first time for everything. At least I can get onto the biggest news now! There's been an important turning point in the 'fur fondling' case."

Her jaw went slack and she watched as the water buffalo held up a tiny device in his massive hoof. It was a flat, clear rectangle with a long, hair-like antennae.

Every single officer leant forwards in their seats.

"This was found in the fur of a snow lynx," explained Bogo. "She claims to be germaphobic, so when she felt someone touch her fur she rushed back home to bathe. This fell to the floor when she brushed it out of her shoulder."

"So what is it?" Wolford asked.

"It appears to be a tracking device," said Bogo. "But unfortunately, since she spent so long in the shower, it's been destroyed by water so we can't do anything with it. It is, however, causing me to wonder if the 'fur fondling' and kidnappings are related."

"So they're tagging their targets?" The wolf shook his head.

The rest of the officers broke into discussion, turning on their seats and speaking in heated voices. Judy picked out a few words, namely 'We should have noticed sooner!' or 'How long has this really been going on for?'

Bogo cleared his throat and the room fell into silence as the officers turned back in their seats to face the Chief.

"That's better," he said. "Now, I agree this should have been found out sooner, but none of the other mammals were paranoid enough to check that they'd not had something stuck to them, and if they had, this device is designed in such a way that it would be invisible!" He waved it at them to make his point.

Judy's eyes wouldn't leave the device. Her jaw was still hanging open as she strung the facts together. That wild cat outside her house. The day she ran into Finnick by the parking meters.

' _Oi, cat! Get off my tail!_ '

"Now. I want us to make sure every single mammal who's complained of 'fur fondling' to be guarded, vigilantly, until the culprits are caught. We also need to put out a warning for anyone – absolutely anyone! - who has experienced this to come forward and report it, because a lot of cases have clearly been brushed under the rug!" He smacked a paw into the map over the picture of the brown alpaca. "This is the only mammal who's come into the office to report a case and then gone missing! The others hadn't, and we don't know if the other missing mammals here reported cases of 'fur fondling' or not. I want you all to visit these mammals' friends and relatives to find this out." He looked down at Judy and gave her a sympathetic sigh. "Except you, Hopps. You're on parking duty."

...

It was the only time Judy was relieved to be on parking duty. She had no intention of stopping by cars to check the meters just yet (well, except two or three because they were already expired. It was her job after all.) Her main goal was to reach Finnick's parked van and hope he was inside it. He'd not been answering his phone and she was starting to feel sick with worry.

She wasn't going to lose the both of them.

She turned a sharp corner and leapt over a startled weasel, firing back a quick apology as she vanished into the crowd. Several mammals looked up with surprise as she knocked into them and in one case accidentally knocked a bag of apples out of a badger's paws.

"I'm really sorry!" It was becoming a common phrase as she desperately tried to reach that parking meter.

Finnick's van was still beside it, its doors wide open with his stereo blaring away. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she found a new energy to speed up despite her burning lungs. The car just before it pulled away, revealing the small fennec fox as he lifted jars of red juice into the van, scurrying backwards as he dragged them after him along the bare floor.

Judy felt a wave of relief but she didn't slow down. She bounded the final few feet and leapt into the van, startling Finnick so much so he let out a squeal of surprise. Then he went rigid as the rabbit grabbed his tail in both paws.

"Whatchu doin', you mad rabbit!" he roared.

"They're tagging them!" she shot bag. "That's how they're kidnapping mammals! They're hiding tags in their fur!"

"What? Wait, get off, I can do it myself!"

"You don't know what you're looking for!"

She kept her back to him, pawing through his fur as she desperately sought that near-invisible tag. There was always the case he'd not got one. The ZPD had received more phone calls complaining of 'fur fondling' than they had missing mammals, but that cat outside her house... no, he _had_ to have one.

As she brushed through his fur with her paw she couldn't help realising how soft and fluffy it was. She didn't have long fur of her own and she'd always been fascinated by it but never had the nerve to invade another mammal's personal space. She hadn't even dared to so much as to ask Nick, the sheer thought had made her blush, but she'd often found herself admiring how it moved in the breeze.

Finally, her paw found something with the consistency of duct tape and she carefully pried it free. She felt the fox flinch but when she looked up to apologise he wasn't even looking at her. He was staring out of the open doors of his van with his arms crossed, one of his feet tapping impatiently.

She looked back down at his tail and was about to let go when a breeze whipped through the van and stirred through his tan fur. The image of the gruff fox cuddling his tail all innocently flashed through her mind. She couldn't blame him. It was rather... difficult to resist.

She pressed her face into his tail and he let out a yell, yanking it from her grip and hopping away from her. It all happened so fast that she sat bolt upright, her ears rigid as she stared at the rather shell-shocked fox. He stood staring at her with his beloved tail in his paws, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to form words. His eyes were so wide they seemed to rival his ears which were currently hanging as low as they could go on either side of his head.

"Finnick, I'm so sorry!"

He finally regained his composure and flashed his canines. "Whaddya think you're doin'?!"

"I..." She stuttered for a moment and looked away. Even her ears were turning red. "I got carried away, I don't have one..."

He just stared at her silently, still clutching his tail. She felt very small now and just wanted to disappear.

"You know what I think?" he said as he turned off his stereo. "I think this whole 'fur fondling' thing is a growing issue and the criminals are just using it as a front to disguise their plans!"

"I'm not a 'fur fondler!'" She looked up at him with the most indignant expression he'd ever seen and held out her paw, the strange device lying there, almost invisible against her pale grey fur. "I found it, though."

He took a small step towards her and carefully plucked it from her paw by the antennae, trying his best to not touch her at all. The little tracker dangled from his claws and he crinkled his muzzle at it.

"Huh. Whaddya know, you were right."

"Of course I was right! You think I'd just run in here and..." She trailed off when he fixed his narrowed eyes on hers, and she cleared her throat. "Can we just put this behind us? Please?"

He snorted and turned away, tossing the device onto his coffee table. "I'll repress it."

She retrieved it and turned back to Finnick who had returned to his previous task and was now struggling to get one of the large jars into his van.

"The tracker that arrived at the ZPD doesn't work," she said. "Apparently they're not water resistant."

"Funny. Makes 'em pretty pointless, don't it?"

"Have you... got it wet?" she asked.

"I've been with you the whole time, ain't I? I don't have a shower in my van."

She looked around and nodded, clutching the tracker in her paw. "Then there's a chance we might be able to trace the tracker back to the criminals who put it on you."

He paused, stopping the teetering jar with a paw and fixed her with a look of surprise. "Trace it? You think that's possible?"

She grinned and placed a paw on her hip. "All we have to do is reverse the signal."

His face split into a smile and his eyes crinkled as he laughed, keeping one paw on the jar. "It looks like we may be onto somethin' then, hey, Hopps?"

"Yes, we might even be able to find Nick before the end of the day!" She paused and scratched her chin. "Do you think you'd mind coming to the ZPD with me?"

"I told ya, I don't think much of cops and they don't think much of me. Why would I go into a police station?"

"Because we're looking for Nick. He's your friend as much as he is mine, and this was found in _your_ fur." She waved the tracker. "Right now you're a victim, and we're trying to find your assailant and the same gang that kidnapped our friend. Not to mention the mastermind behind all this."

He licked his lips in thought and finished stuffing the jar into the van. "Okay, Hopps. I'll come with you, but just this once, you hear?"

She followed him back out of the van and helped him close the doors.

"Then we need to hurry," she said.

"Don't be so hasty, fuzz. First I need to get this juice to my new partner. If I'm late he'll have my tail."

Judy flinched and looked down at Finnick expecting him to be as uncomfortable as she was, but instead he was grinning up at her with a twinkle in his eye. He'd got over that quick...

He chuckled and walked away from her to the driver's door. "Oh, this is gonna be fun! You light up like a Christmas tree."

She placed her paw to her blushing face and realised with dread that the whole embarrassing ordeal had been turned on her and her alone. "Oh cheese and crackers!"

...

 **I couldn't help myself lol. I like fluff. And the fan idea that Judy likes fluffy tails made that scene hard to resist XD**

 **Please R &R! =D**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N - Yay, update day! =D As much as three days a week is an awesome, fun schedule, I need to get a real wiggle on getting these chapters written... XD**

 **Thanks again for all reviews, faves and follows! =D**

6

Judy and Finnick strode into the ZPD, the small fox clutching a pawpsicle in his paws. The leopard behind the reception desk looked up and gave the rabbit a broad, friendly smile.

"Judy!" He lowered his voice as she drew closer. "You're back early. Is there a problem?"  
"Yes, I, erm..." She glanced down at Finnick and Clawhauser followed her gaze.

"O... M... Goodness!" The leopard clapped his paws together. "Why, aren't you just so adorable?"

Finnick removed the pawpsicle from his mouth and frowned. "Excuse me, cop? Adorable?!"

Clawhauser's smile was replaced with confusion and embarrassment and he placed both paws on his cheeks. "Oh I'm so sorry! I thought-"

Judy cut him off with a wave of her paw before he could make the situation any worse.

"Finnick here is a friend of Nick's," she said.

"Ooh!" Clawhauser leant over his desk to look down at him again. "How is Nick? I've been so worried about him."

Finnick stared back at the leopard and raised an eyebrow. The silence that passed between them made Judy shift uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"Erm, Clawhauser. Is there any chance we can use the computer room for a little while?"

"'We'?" Clawhauser looked from her to the fox and back and scratched his ear. "Well... since he's authorised, I don't see why not. But... could you explain why?"

She fished around in her pocket and pulled out the small tracking device. "This was found on his fur. He's been targeted by the kidnappers."

Clawhauser's jaw dropped and his donut in his paw bounced off the desk and onto the floor.

"So if we can trace the tracker," Judy went on, "then we might be able to find one of the kidnappers."

Clawhauser sighed and wound his paws together. "I don't know, Judy. I think you'd be better leaving it with the Chief."

"I really can't do that." She stared back at the leopard for a moment, watching as a look of worry crossed his features. She didn't really have much choice and out of all the police officers in the ZPD after Nick she trusted Clawhauser the most. She gave Finnick an apologetic look and pulled herself up onto the counter, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Can I tell you something in confidence, Clawhauser?"

"Of course you can! Is something wrong?"

"Yes. You see... Nick isn't sick. We went undercover and followed a pair of suspicious mammals. He tricked them into trusting him and went with them, but I can't let Chief Bogo find out because I'm worried he might not see it that way. And even if he did, if he sent out a team and something happened to Nick..."

His jaw had dropped with each word and he shook his head sadly. "Okay, Judy. I understand. I won't say a word, but... if you need back up, ask for it. Okay?"

She smiled broadly and nodded. "Thank you, Clawhauser."

"I can let you both into the computer room, and I'll do my best to keep anyone else out until you're finished. Here's the key."

He dropped a rather large key into the rabbit's small paws. With another 'thank you' she bounced off the counter and Finnick followed after her, giving one last glance back to the smiling yet worried leopard.

"So you told another cop," he said flatly.

"I didn't have much choice," she said, "and I trust Clawhauser."

"Oddly enough, so do I."

The computer room was very quiet. A lone porcupine was sat at one of them, but all she did was glance up at them briefly. Judy recognised her as one of the analysts who spent her whole time in the computer room researching and analysing data.

Judy gave her a small smile and climbed onto one of the large chairs. Finnick climbed up beside her and watched intently as she turned on the computer. There was nothing immediately obvious to help trace the tracker, nothing stood out to her at all. She made a thoughtful noise and pulled the tracker from her pocket, turning it around in her paws. Nothing to attach a cable to either.

"You ain't got a clue, have you?" Finnick whispered.

She shook her head. "I... thought it would be more obvious."  
He gave an audible sigh and tried to wipe his sticky paws off on his shirt. "Well, while you faff around with it, I'll go wash this stuff off. Where's the loo?"

Judy gave him directions to the nearest toilet and watched him strut out of the room. With a sigh of her own, she sat back in the chair and turned the tracker around once more in her paws. Nothing. There was nothing obvious.

"How do they trace these things?" she muttered to herself.

"You sound like you're having trouble." The porcupine slipped off her chair and shuffled towards her, her long spines rustling together with every small movement. "Anything I can help you with?"

Judy rubbed at her ear and gave the tracker another defeated glance. "Actually, yes. Do you know how I can trace this thing?"

The porcupine took it and made a thoughtful noise. "This runs off a microchip. Simple enough. I can have this traced for you in no time flat. Easy peasy!"

Judy watched the analyst shuffle back across the room and pull something from a drawer. It looked like an old fashioned walkie talkie but half the front was taken up by a screen. She joined the porcupine and tried to look over her shoulder for a better view.

"Here, look at this!" The analyst lowered the device so she could clearly see the screen. "It's tracing it now! When it's done it'll print off the information for you. Simple."

Judy couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. It hadn't seemed simple to her, but this porcupine had shaved off a lot of time. The machine let out a long beep and a sheet of thin paper trailed from a slot at the top.

"Thank you, erm..."

The porcupine smiled fondly. "Eileen."

"Thank you, Eileen. You've been a total star!" Judy took the paper offered to her and read over it twice before racing from the computer room.

She almost bumped into Finnick in the hallway and trotted backwards before the pair of them ended up in a fuzzy heap on the floor.

"Nice save," said the fox. His eyes went to the paper in her paw. "Did you figure it out then?"

She placed a paw on her hip and beamed. "I got the information! Here, see for yourself."

He took the slip and frowned down at it. "Says that it's traced it to the edge of Sahara Square."

"Yup! It makes me wonder if there really was something behind telling us to meet at the Canyonlands."

"I still think the Canyonlands was a ruse." He thrust the paper back at her. "But Sahara Square ain't small. I say we check this location out this evening."

"I was gonna suggest the same thing."

He winked at her and turned away with a chuckle. "Great minds, hey, Hopps?"

...

As she sipped at her Pawbucks coffee, Judy felt a lot better that they now had a clear plan of action. The strip of paper lay in the centre of the table between two empty plates and what was left of Flash's lemon drizzle cake while Finnick leant over an oversized map trying to find the fastest route both to and from their target destination – a little street coming off Cactus Grove.

"I think," Finnick began, "the fastest and safest route is to go up through Downtown towards Peak Street Station and cross the bridge to Sahara Square from there. Quick 'n' easy way towards the northern outskirts."

Judy eyed the map and nodded her approval. "Since we don't know exactly where their base is, it's safer than driving straight through the centre of Sahara Square from where we are."

"That's what I was thinkin'."

"Now that leaves us with the next problem." She looked pointedly at Flash. "How comfortable are you with driving a van?"

"Not... very... fast," said the sloth. "Too... much... air... resistance."

"It'd still go faster'n a coyote," said Finnick. He blinked and looked up with a jolt. "Wait, what?! Who said anythin' about him drivin' my van?"

"Well, we don't have any other transport," said Judy. "His car got stuck full of bullets!"

She'd decided to not ask Flash what he'd told the repair shop. But she could imagine the sight was met with many raised eyebrows.

Finnick crossed his arms and frowned at her. "I don't even let Nick drive my van. Why would I let a total stranger?"

"Because we need someone behind the wheel, and I need you with me!" She returned his frown. "And you know Flash now. He's not a stranger."

Flash watched them bickering over his mug of iced coffee and lowered it slowly to the table. "We... could... always... hire... a car?"

Judy and Finnick turned to stare at him, Judy with a look of bewilderment.

"We can't do that!" she gasped. "Imagine the costs if we damaged it? You saw what happened to yours!"

"Hey, and you're happy to risk my van?" Finnick snarled. "I live in that thing!"  
Judy slumped into her arms and groaned. "I'm at a loss here."

"Besides," he went on. "They know what it looks like, since that wildcat came to it in person."

Flash raised a claw and smiled. "Paint... job."

"You ain't paintin' my van! That took me ages!"

Judy's eyes widened with surprise. "Wow, you..." She shook her head sharply. "We haven't got time for this! We need to find a plan. A car. If you can't use your van, and Flash's car is in the shop, then what shall we do?"

Flash raised a claw again but Judy cut him off.

"We can't hire one."

He lowered it again and sipped his iced coffee through a straw.

Finnick sighed and smoothed out the map, his eyes distant as he was deep in thought. Finally he looked up and broke the tense silence.

"What car did you use with Nick?"

"An undercover car," she said.

"Get it back."

Her spine stiffened and she opened her mouth to retort, but all words froze in her throat when she realised one thing.

He was right.

They really did have no other choice.

"All right," she said with a sigh. "But we must try to avoid it getting shot at. Because if I return a car I'm not even meant to borrow and it's full of bullet holes, Chief Bogo will be after my neck."

Finnick snorted and folded up the map. "I think he'll be offerin' you a medal after you solved this case."

...

 **Please R &R! =D**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N - I'm a day late, sorry =( Yesterday was a bit busy!**

 **Thanks to all reviews, faves and follows! Also, a great thanks to Combat Engineer. Your review actually sparked a bit of inspiration for chapter 8! Keep an eye open for Monday's update =D**

7

Chief Bogo strolled into the computer room, all the while frowning down at the piece of useless plastic in his huge hoof. The long, hair-like antennae swayed against the draft. Broken.

He sighed and let the door swing shut behind him, drawing the attention of the porcupine as she packed up her bag for the day.

"Excuse me, Eileen," he said. "I know you've finished, but is it at all possible to revive this? Or at least rescue any data somehow?"

He let the tracker dangle by its antennae which she watched with slowly widening eyes.

"Another one?" She scratched her long quills. "They're turning up fast, aren't they?"

Bogo raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'another one'? This is the same one I showed you earlier."

"No, no. I get that." She waved her paws and laughed. "But Officer Hopps was in here before with one as well. I helped her trace it because she... couldn't..." She trailed off as Bogo's eyes narrowed into slits.

"Hopps has one?" he asked quietly.

"Yeh. She came here earlier with a little fox."

"A fox?"

"Yeh, a fennec, I think. I thought he was a kid until he spoke to her."

Bogo rubbed the bridge of his snout as he tried to process this. A fox. A fox that wasn't Nick. Judy with a tracker. The same Judy who had been assigned parking duty and let a whole section of Downtown go without tickets all afternoon.

Again.

He'd been looking for her and this is what she'd been up to? Working on a case – alone – when he'd told her it wasn't safe to do so?  
Bogo let the tracker drop onto the nearest computer desk and threw open the door.

His loud voice boomed through the lobby, drawing all eyes to the computer room and causing some mammals to duck down. "Hopps?!"

"Erm, Chief Bogo! If it helps..."

He looked back at the quaking porcupine and said, through gritted teeth, "I hope you're going to tell me where she is?"  
Eileen gulped and pulled the tracer out of her desk drawer. "I... can't remember off hand. Give me a moment or two to access its history."  
Bogo took a steadying breath but his words didn't help Eileen's nerves. "I'll be back in _ten minutes_."

...

It was already going dark by the time Judy and her little team reached Sahara Square. But despite the time, the place was bustling with desert mammals going from shop to shop or visiting the variety of nightlife. Lights lit up the various buildings advertising the latest in movies, or flickering in an array of neon colours above the doorways of casinos.

The sandy streets wound throughout the Square and Judy stared in amazement. She hadn't often been to this area of Zootopia, especially not at night. Sahara Square was often baking hot during the day time, leaving the streets virtually bare. Right now, it was like another world.

"We're... here." Flash brought the car to a stop and looked down at Judy and Finnick. "It's... a pub."

Finnick, who had decided to sit between Judy and Flash rather than in the back seat, slipped out from beneath the seat belt that was holding him and the rabbit in place and stood on his tip toes to get a clear view over the dashboard.

"Huh, so it is," he said. "'The Dancing Cactus'? Guess our suspect lives above there, hey?"

Judy looked up at the dingy apartment window above the bar. The curtains were drawn and there was no light beyond them. The tracker had traced the culprit to this location, and there was no saying they were even still in it.

If they needed to go inside it was a good job she'd changed from her police uniform into a little blue dress.

"It's worth asking." She opened the door and climbed out of the car, holding the door open for the fennec fox. "We won't be long, Flash. But if there's any trouble just drive away and call for back up, okay?"

The sloth gave her the thumbs up and a smile.

She closed the door and Finnick frowned at her.

"Back up?" he asked. "I thought we weren't tellin' no one."

"It's a precaution," she said.

He simply shrugged and followed her to the open door of The Dancing Cactus. Immediately the smell of stale alcohol assaulted Judy's senses and she tried her best to not crinkle her nose in disgust. The bar was filled with various desert mammals. A pair of addax antelope were sat by the bar talking amongst themselves while a camel served them fresh drinks. In a far corner a cheetah sat playing cards with a hyrax and a camel, their conversation drowned out by a nearby group of hyenas who were gathered around their own table laughing at an apparently outrageous joke.

What stood out to Judy the most was a spotted wildcat huddled at the end of the bar almost hidden entirely by a lion. A margay, if her identification of the feline was correct. He had a wide-brimmed hat placed beside him on the bar and his small form was drowned beneath a large trench coat.

"Well, he's the only wildcat in here," Judy whispered to Finnick.

The fox nodded and made his way towards the bar.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, grabbing him by the sleeve.

He looked back at her and said, as quietly as he could, "Tryin' to look nonchalant. If we just come in, look around, then go out again, we're gonna look pretty suspicious ain't we? Now... you want a carrot juice or somethin' else?"

That was a relief. She'd thought he might have been trying to confront the margay. As much as she'd rather just go and wait in the car and think things over, a carrot juice did sound good. She smiled and nodded, accompanying him at the bar.

The pair of them pulled themselves up onto the tall stools and Finnick waved down the bartender. When the camel saw him, his muzzle crinkled into a frown and he rammed a plastic sign onto the counter with a clatter.

"Not only do we not serve children," the camel said, "we also don't serve foxes."

Judy's eyes went to the sign, reading the words 'We refuse custom to any foxes'. Her stomach tied into knots and she gave a sigh of defeat as she slowly slid back down onto the floor.

Finnick, however, remained on the stool. He thrust the sign back towards the camel and flashed his canines.

"I have you know, bud, I ain't no kid! And if you don't mind, it's hot and the both of us would like a nice, cold drink."

"Sorry, but that's our policy," said the camel. "If I serve a fox in here, my boss'll dump me out on the street with tomorrow's garbage."

"Look, pal." One of the antelope looked down at him and snorted. "Why don't you and your little girlfriend go somewhere else. Like... back to Downtown?"

The pair of antelope burst into fits of laughter and hammered the bar with their hooves.

"Girlfriend?! She ain't my girlfriend! What do you take me for?" Finnick hopped from the stool and stuffed his paws into his pockets.

"Good point!" howled the second antelope. "She could do better!"

Judy stood in the bar, laughter and insults ringing her eardrums. All she could do was stare from the bar to Finnick's retreating form and back. It hadn't even been this bad back in Jumbeaux's Cafe, so much so it took her a moment or two to process what had just happened.

A mixture of sadness and anger welled up inside her and she took off after the fox, spotting him walking down the street away from the car. Flash had wound his window down and was watching him with a questioning look in his large eyes. She thought she heard Flash say something to her, but she was too focused on the fox, shouting his name as she sprinted to catch up. His ears flicked back at his name and he paused, looking back at her over his shoulder.

"Are you all right?" she asked as she caught up. "That was-"

"I'm fine," he said. "I've dealt with worse than that."

"Okay." She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. "Then why did you attack me?"

"Whatchu talkin' 'bout?" he asked.

"You practically insulted me to those antelope! 'What do you take me for?'"

Her impersonation of him seemed to amuse him slightly but he shook it off and threw his paws in the air in exasperation.

"Oh come on, rabbit! You really that dumb?!"  
Her jaw dropped but before she could rebuke him for the term 'dumb' he cut her off in a mini rant.

"Of course I was gonna say that! We might be in Sahara Square, but news travels fast in Zootopia! I can't risk hurtin' Nick's feelin's can I? I might be a fox, but I got respect for my bro comin' out my ears!"

Judy just stood there now looking like a goldfish. Her eyes were so wide she felt they might roll out of her head. Any time she tried to speak it was just a strange 'whu?' sound that made Finnick raise an eyebrow.

"You really are dumb, aintcha?" he shook his head and sighed audibly. "Are you seriously tellin' me you ain't seen the way he looks at you?! Come on, Hopps! I thought you was a cop!"

Did he just call her dumb again? She didn't have time for that, there was too much going on in her mind right now. She placed a paw against her head and stumbled back against a wall as she tried to process it all.

Nick? Looking at her? Sure he looked at her a lot, he had to. That's how you had conversations after all. She knew something was different lately, and it left her feeling funny. But right now she felt like her head was going to spin off her shoulders.

"You alright, Hopps? You've gone a bit pale."  
Words failed her once again.

"Okay, come on." Finnick took her paw and led her away from the wall. Her safe wall that had been holding her up for the most part. "Let's go back to the car."

Once back in the passenger seat, things began to come back to her. Most of all, the mission. Nick had been kidnapped, amongst other mammals, and they were trying to catch a wildcat.

The margay.

In the bar.

Her head snapped around to look out of the window at The Dancing Cactus. Had he gone?

"Oh, cheese and crackers!" She looked down at the small fennec fox at her side. "Have we lost him?" She then looked up at Flash. "Did you see a wildcat come out of the bar?"

"Calm down, Fuzz," said Finnick. "He ain't left the bar yet. I got two ears and two eyes, an' I only needed one of each trained on your wobbly form." She caught a smirk and twinkle in his eye and he craned himself to look out of the window. "Think you can keep yerself together long enough to crack this case, Hopps?"

She looked away from him and noticed the wide, knowing smile on Flash's face... and blushed. How many mammals knew about this?!

...

Judy checked the time on her phone for what must have been the hundredth time. An hour had passed since they'd spotted the margay and he hadn't yet left the bar. To be certain he was still there, Flash had gone inside and come back out with proof the margay was still sitting at the bar and three cold bottles of water tucked under his long arms. She'd needed the drink. It was a very muggy night.

"There's still a chance he might live in there." Finnick nodded to the apartment above The Dancing Cactus.

"Then if the light goes on, one of us goes in to check," she said.

"Well it ain't gonna be me." He folded his arms and looked away from her. "I ain't goin' through all that again."  
"I'll... go," said Flash.

"No, I will," said Judy. "We might need you to chase after him if he runs."  
"Fine by me," said Finnick. "It weren't you they was teasin'."  
Judy's ears drooped slightly and she looked down at Finnick. "I didn't know things got to you like that."

"They get to me like they do everyone else. I just don't show it." He looked up at Flash. "They give you a hard time, bro?"

"Yes. Antelope... had... no... patience."

"And you didn't say anythin' when you got back?"

"I... don't... mind," said Flash. "It's... who... I am. A lot... of... mammals... are... understanding... actually."

"'Never let them see that they get to you'." Finnick sighed. "You got that one nailed down to a 'T', pal."

"It's... easy." Flash smiled broadly. "Focus... on... your... good... qualities."

For anyone who didn't know Finnick, it wasn't easy to tell the sloth's words had struck a chord. But Judy had noticed his ears had pricked up a little despite the fact he was still frowning down at his feet. He looked like he was about to say something but he looked up with a sudden jolt, drawing her attention to the window.

There he was. The margay. Slipping out of the bar and moving away from them, walking with an obvious limp on his left leg.

"Okay, what do we do?" Judy asked. "We clearly can't trail him in the car because it's too obvious, but the last time I did this, I lost Nick."

"Easy. We don't make it obvious." Finnick wriggled out from beneath the seatbelt and scrambled around on the back seat.

She craned around to look at him, keeping one eye on the retreating feline. "How?"

"You distract him." He pulled on a white and grey onesie and pulled a taser from its deep pockets. "An' I tase him."  
She gaped at him and shook her head. "But we don't know it's definitely him!"

"You want information right? So, do you wanna drag a kicking, screaming, potentially dangerous criminal into your car?"

Her mouth flapped open and closed wordlessly. They didn't know for a fact it was him, yet he was the only cat in the bar the tracker had traced back to. His friends could be anywhere, and a scene might draw them out...

Finnick frowned at her. "See? Makes sense don't it?" He tugged his hood up, displaying a pair of long, floppy rabbit ears which only made her jaw drop even more and Flash to laugh and strike the steering wheel with a large paw.

"You're a bunny now?" she gasped.

"What? Does it embarrass you?" Finnick grinned and popped the taser back in his pocket in exchange for a blue pacifier. "I needed a change. The elephant one was gettin' too familiar in my neighbourhood."  
Judy shook her head in disbelief and slipped out of the car, watching the small fox as he tottered on ahead of her and looking to her, ridiculous, but to everyone else like a toddler. She had to admit, it worked in his favour because no one batted an eye.

She trotted after him, trying to catch up with the feline.

"Excuse me!" she shouted. "Excuse me, Mister Cat?"

The margay looked back at her and frowned. "What?"  
"Erm..." ' _Come on, Judy. Think fast_.' "I was hoping you could help me. We're lost."  
He looked from her to Finnick and back and raised an eyebrow. "Funny lookin' rabbit, ain't he?"  
"Oh no." She waved a paw and laughed. "He's not mine. I'm watching him. I'm actually trying to get him back home. Could you direct me to Aloe Avenue?"  
The margay snorted and tipped his hat back so he could see her clearly. "You're miles out, lass. Yous wanna go back that way and..."

His directions didn't register in her mind as all her focus went into not paying too much attention to Finnick. The fox had moved behind the feline without him even noticing – or not caring. One or the other. She had to mask her flinch at the sight of his taser behind a sniffle and a rub of her nose as she tried her best to smile pleasantly at the cat in front of her. She didn't agree with Finnick's method of detaining a mammal they weren't even one-hundred percent certain was a criminal, but it was too late to say anything now.

A loud zap split the air and the cat crumpled to the ground, almost crushing Finnick beneath his weight. The fox dragged himself out from beneath the trench coat and stood beside the fallen feline, quickly hiding his taser back in his pocket while sucking loudly on his pacifier.

"There had to be an easier way than this, Finnick." She placed a paw on her forehead and sighed.

The undercover car pulled up beside her and Flash peered out at her through the wound-down window.

She returned his worried expression with one of her own and quickly grabbed the cat under his arms to drag him into the back seats. Fortunately Flash had thought quickly enough to place the cherry on top of the car to deter any potential retaliation, although it wasn't currently flashing.

Taking an undercover car without permission... twice. Losing her partner. Lying. Tasing a suspect. She could almost hear Chief Bogo's angry rant in her mind.

"Sweet cheese and crackers, what am I doing?"

...

 **Please R &R! =D**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N - Here's chapter 8! This one was rather inspired by Combat Engineer's review. Thanks again! =D It gave me a bit more plot direction since I hadn't got much to begin with. Just a vague A to B. Things feel a little more realistic from here on out!**

8

The margay groaned and stirred on the wooden chair, then looked up with a jolt.

"Where am I?"

He spoke with a thick accent that Judy couldn't place, and twisted against his ties. It hadn't taken long for him to come around. She was relieved they'd managed to get him back to Finnick's van and cuff his hands and feet to a wooden, foldaway chair – the feet of which were bouncing on the floor and making the van sway while the cat demanded to be released.

"Okay, enough." Judy grabbed the back of the chair and tried to hold it down, failing somewhat miserably. "You're in police custody now."

"What? This the police?" The margay laughed. "A rabbit, fox and sloth? Don't make me laugh!"

Flash lowered his can of apple soda and looked up at the margay. "I... could... be a... police... officer."

"Yeah?! And I could be a champion swimmer!"

"You really aren't helping your accusation here, Mister..." Judy leant over the chair so she could see his face. "What's your name?"

"I ain't tellin' you! You tased me!"

"I didn't taser you," she said.

"Then who..." He looked over at Finnick and a look of realisation crossed his delicate face. "Wait... you ain't no kid, fox!"

"No, I ain't," said Finnick. "Now, you're gonna tell us everythin' we wanna know..." He thumped his baseball bat into his open paw. "Or you're gonna meet Mister Bat."

Judy rounded on him, letting the chair sway backwards and fall to the floor while the margay yowled with surprise. "We are _not_ using violence!"

"You do things your way, I do things mine," said Finnick. "I ain't a cop like you, fuzz. When someone wrongs me, I clobber 'em."

"And that's wrong! Flash, restrain him."

Finnick watched Flash slowly rise from the sofa and looked back at Judy with a raised eyebrow. "You seriously think I can't outrun Speedy here?"

The margay was now lying on his back in the chair, laughing hysterically. "You... you a cop, seriously?! I seen beetles do a better job than yous!"

Finnick flicked his bat around at Flash. "Get back! I mean it!"

Flash raised his paws. "Calm... down."

"Finnick," Judy said calmly. "We're not going to find Nick if you knock out this wildcat."

"Nah, ain't tellin' you anythin'!" said the margay. "Conscious or unconscious!"

Finnick pointed his bat at him. "Oh, you'll talk."

"You lookin' for a Nick, right?" The cat tried to shrug his shoulders. "Can't tell you what I don't know."

"You're sayin' you're innocent?" Finnick narrowed his eyes.

"I'm sayin' I ain't no clue why yous three gone and dumped me in a van and... tied me to a lawn chair!"

Judy scurried behind the chair and strained to lift it back up under the margay's weight. "That's because... you happened to be... armed!"

The chair lifted smoothly and slowly, bewildering her for a moment. She looked up to see Flash stood beside her, righting the chair into its upright position.

"Thank you, Flash."

He gave her a warm smile and moved back towards the sofa.

"Now, you can continue to be stubborn," Judy began, "or you can explain why you're kidnapping innocent mammals."

"Kidnappin'?!" The margay's lips curled into a snarl. "That's a pretty big accusation from a small, meek little bunny, love."

"We have reason to believe it was you," she said, trying her best to brush off his insult. "I spotted a wildcat poking around this van last night."

"He might've been admirin' the paintwork."

"Oh, I don't think so," said Finnick. "'Cos we found this in my fur!"

He held up the tracker, letting it dangle from his claws. Judy looked at him with a start and her paw went to her pocket. When had he plucked that from her? She shrugged it off. They had bigger things to worry about right now.

"See?" Finnick grinned. "You recognise it! I saw that look in your eye, kid. And you can't exactly deny it either."

"That's right." Judy placed a paw on her hip and smiled. "Because we found a pile of those in one of your pockets."

"You idiot cop looted me?!"

"Safety precaution. Besides, it was pretty obvious you'd deny it, and also pretty obvious if you were tagging victims that you'd have a stash of them. So what are you doing? Why did that tracker trace back to you? Do you go around farming victims for... whatever it is you're doing?"

The cat closed his eyes and chuckled.

"You're going to talk," she said. "And you're going to start with your name."

"It's Marcello," the cat said. "And besides, what makes you think it traced back to me? Coulda been any one o' them mammals in that bar."

"You were the only wildcat." Judy made a note of his name on her pad. "And we know this group consists of coyotes and wildcats, so you were the most obvious suspect."

"And why you think that?" He fixed one eye on her. "Pretty shallow assumption. I have you know my group has many animals in it."

Finnick made a thoughtful noise. "I doubt it. Was only coyotes and wildcats who showed up in the Canyonlands."

"So it was you bozos who hit me with the car? I ain't walked right since. Jackasses."

Judy pointed her carrot pen at him. "Watch your tongue. You're talking to a police officer."

He let out a loud, shrill laugh. "Oh, I hardly think so. Look at you! You ain't even workin' with other officers! You've bundled a suspect into the back of a trashy van with the help of criminals! You gone rogue, rabbit!"

"I've not gone rogue!"

"Oh, you have, love. You as good as the criminals you workin' with!"

Finnick pointed his bat at him again. "Oi!"

"I'm... not... a... criminal." said Flash. "I'm... just... a... civilian."

"Don't care," said Marcello. "My point is this bunny cop here has waded in too deep an' broken the law to rescue... who was it again? Nick?"

"You don't talk to her like that, cat," Finnick growled.

"She wants me to talk so I'm talkin'," said Marcello. "Besides, yous assumption makes sense. You that same bunny cop who accused all predators of goin' savage, am I right? An' here you are thinkin' my group is all cats 'n' coyotes? Well, we have a fox with us too." He smirked at her surprise. "Yup! You heard me right. A sneaky, conniving fox, 'cos that's all they are ain't it? Bet your cute little canine friend don't seem so cute now, does he?"

Judy gave Finnick a sideways glance. The fennec was practically seething.

"Yeh. Surprised? Not the same fox, mind. The one my boss found's been helpin' him increase his sales. Become quite a prized asset actually. To be honest, I think that's why the name 'Nick' is so familiar."

Judy's ears drooped to the back of her head. "You're lying..."

"I ain't lyin', sugar. He told us all 'bout you. Said you'd try to get in the way. Called you a meek, gullible, dumb bunny."

"You're lying!" Her paws balled tightly into fists as she stared down the margay.

The cat watched her for a moment, standing in silence as every hair along her back stood on end. Then he laughed. Just laughed.

She couldn't take it any more. She needed some air. Her pen clattered to the floor and she stomped from the van, letting the door slam shut behind her.

Finnick looked from the door to Flash and back. The sloth seemed to take the hint as he rose from the sofa and slumped after the rabbit.

The fox turned back to the still hysterical Marcello and slammed the bat into an empty soda can, sending it bouncing off the metal walls. The noise brought the cat out of his laughing fit and he let out a yelp of surprise.

"You gonna tell me why you fed her full o' bull?" Finnick growled.

Marcello quickly gathered himself and fixed his twinkling green eyes on Finnick. "Who said it were bull, fox?"

"The fact that I know Nick like the back o' my paw."

"Guess you ain't looked at your paw in a while then, huh?"

Finnick just stared at him, fixing his eyes on the cat's.

Marcello sighed and the corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. "You know, it's pretty sweet you stick up for her like that. I'd say you were soft on her."

"Shut up, cat. I'll tell you what I told her. I don't do cushy. Now tell me the truth." He pointed his bat at him again and narrowed his eyes. "Where is Nick?"

"Of course, she wouldn't look twice at a runt like you, would she?"

Finnick's bat struck the metal trash can, creating a clang that reverberated off the walls and leaving a nice dent in the side of the can.

"Takin' it out on the trash can, eh?" The margay grinned. "Guess I'm right then?"

"You're best to not provoke me, Marcello. I got a strong rep in these parts."

"What, as a small fox with a vocal temper?" Marcello leant forwards in his seat as far as his cuffs would allow. "I'm from these parts, Shorty. I bet you'd never use that bat on another mammal. Yous all bark an' no bite."

"Really? Wanna make this fun? How much money you puttin' on that bet?"

Marcello fell silent. Any sign of amusement had left his features as he kept his eyes locked on Finnick and his bat.

Finnick smirked. "Thought so. Now talk."

...

Judy sat on the curb with her head in one paw, staring at her mobile. Nick stared back at her from her phone's wallpaper, surprised by her glomp and selfie attack. Normally it would make her smile but right now it just hurt.

The margay's words were ringing around her head. His accusations of Nick still felt wrong, but the words that stood out the most were the ones that had been aimed at her.

' _You gone rogue, rabbit!_ '

She glanced up at the sloth sat beside her and sighed. "I think I need to tell Chief Bogo."

Flash shrugged his shoulders. "That's... up to... you."

She let out a flustered sigh and looked back down at her phone, her thumb hovering over the dial button. It was still risky, but right now she felt she had no choice. They had a criminal in the back of Finnick's van. They couldn't very well let him go. One way or another they had to get him to the station and she highly doubted he'd walk there and turn himself in on request. She'd have to tell Bogo everything, and that even meant the absurd story Marcello had told them.

Because if she didn't, he probably would.

"Either... way," said Flash, "I'm... still... helping... you... rescue... our... friend."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you."

He turned his head slowly to look at her. "We'll... find... Nick."

She could feel a tear forming in the corner of her eye and wiped it away as subtly as she could.

The door to the van opened with a clatter and Finnick hopped out, still lugging his bat after him. He kicked the door shut and strutted over to them, his muzzle creased into a frown.

"Any joy?" she asked.

"Oh yeh. Tons." He flopped onto the cub and rubbed at his ear. "He won't let that story go 'bout our Nick helpin' 'em out though."

She sighed and ran a paw over her face. It really was beginning to feel hopeless. "I'm guessing he didn't say anything else?"

"Yeh, he did. Funny thing 'bout cats is they like to make themselves look big. Once he realised I got him backed into a corner he talked and talked. Thought he weren't gonna shut up, actually."

"So what did he say?"

"Coyotes have got Nick just outside the Canyonlands. Their base is inside a warehouse. They got a whole factory set up." He paused. "You ain't gonna like this bit though, fuzz."

He raised an eyebrow at her and she felt her stomach do a nauseating flip. It wasn't about Nick, was it? She'd really believed the margay had been lying.

"Them rabbits you said had been kidnapped?" he began. "Well, they got 'em. They got all the missing mammals. What they're doin' there is makin' wool rugs outta their hair."

Her paws flew to her mouth and she stared at the fox through widened, purple eyes. It was clear he could see the horror on her face because he raised a paw to calm her.

"Don't worry 'bout it, fuzz. They're still alive. Explains why they been targetin' mammals with long fur though, don't it?"

"Fur... farming?" Flash looked solemnly at Finnick and shook his head. "That's... illegal."

"Exactly," said Finnick. "Makes me worry what they're doin' to Nick."

"So you agree with me?" said Judy. "He's not helping them?"

"Come on, rabbit. I know Nick. He wouldn't do that, and he certainly wouldn't call you a dumb, meek bunny either. Way I see it is if Marcello's story does have any element of truth behind it then Nick's puttin' on an act to get close to 'em and hopefully turn 'em in. But to be honest I don't know how well that'd go down with your boss."

It would go down like a lead brick. She grit her teeth together and rubbed at her temples.

"Then there's always the chance they're usin' him against you," Finnick went on. "I mean, you got that text, right? And then what happened?"

He was right. Judy stared back down at her phone and pursed her lips together. They knew enough. It was time to tell Bogo.

"I need to let the ZPD know now, Finnick," she said.

He shrugged. "I ain't happy 'bout it, but I'm less happy 'bout havin' that gangster in the back o' my van."

She gave him a small smile and dialled the ZPD.

...

Clawhauser's ears pricked and he looked down at his phone. He quickly licked sugar off his claws and answered it with a chirpy, "Hello, Zootopia Police Department?"

"Clawhauser? It's Judy."

The cheetah's face split into a grin. "Judy! How's it going?" He looked around quickly then lowered his voice to a whisper. "Have you found Nick?"

"Actually, we might have done. Can I please speak to Chief Bogo?"

"Oh! Of course. I'll put you through."

...

Bogo was sat with his feet up on his desk watching Gazelle's latest music video on his mobile. When the phone rang he groaned and leant across the desk to grab it. He really hoped that this time it would be Fangmeyer and Delgato with news about Judy's personal investigation spree. He was getting a little tired of answering his phone on his break.

"Boss?" came Clawhauser's voice. "I have Judy on the phone. She needs to speak to you, it's urgent."

"The elusive Hopps herself, huh? Fine, pass her through." As the phone went silent for a moment, he mumbled, "I hope you've got a really good reason for this, Hopps."

"Chief Bogo?" Judy sounded somewhat frantic which made his ears prick up.

"What is it, Hopps? 'Cos you've got some explaining to do. I've got two of my best officers searching for you."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I know you've traced a tracker, Hopps. You don't exactly cover your paw prints well, do you? What do you think you're playing at?! I distinctly told you to stay on parking duty!"

"I know! I... I'm sorry. I do have an explanation. You see, it's Nick. He's not been sick like I've been telling you. He's been kidnapped, and I've been trying to find him."

Bogo dropped his mobile onto the floor and leapt to his feet, still clutching the cordless to his ear. "What?!"

"I can explain everything," she said quickly. "But right now I need someone to retrieve a criminal from my friend's van. He's one of the kidnappers, and he's told us where the base is so we're going-"

"You are not going to that base, Hopps! Bring that kidnapper here. Now."

"You don't understand! I think Nick's in trouble. They're fur farmers!"

Bogo's jaw hung open wordlessly.

"All those mammals they've kidnapped are having their fur spun into wool rugs," she went on. "I can tell you exactly where their base is, but we'd need to be careful. Because I think Nick is being used against us. They've tricked me once already."

Bogo sighed and sat back down heavily in his chair. "All right, Hopps. Since you seem to know the ins and outs of this case then I'm gonna send a team to help you scout that base." He cut off her overjoyed 'thank you' with a firm, " _After_ you've brought that kidnapper here and explained everything! Then after this case is over, we're gonna have a little talk."

...

 **I dunno what happened with Marcello. I wanted to give him an exotic accent but instead ended up writing him to sound like a 1920's gangster! Oh well, it works lol.**

 **Please R &R! =D**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N - So! I've finished writing this fic today. Just a bit of editing to do now and that's it! It will be 11 chapters in total, unless I break chapter 11 into two. It's on the long side, but I might leave it as it is.**

 **Thanks for all reviews, faves and follows!**

9

Bogo paced back and forth on the other side of the desk while Judy and her two friends watched him anxiously. They'd explained everything, although the water buffalo had cut Finnick off on more than one occasion and had politely asked Flash to remain silent. He'd wanted to hear everything Judy had to say, and for her to not miss out a single detail (which she hadn't). It was clear from the look on his face that he wasn't the least bit impressed.

Finally, he turned to face them with his hooves still fastened behind his back.

"I distinctly told you to stay on parking duty," he said. "Especially since your partner wasn't in work! It is much too dangerous for a lone police officer to handle potentially dangerous criminals, and since these are kidnappers that is exactly what they are!"

"She wasn't alone!" snapped Finnick.

Bogo rounded on the fox. "I told you to stay quiet!"

"No, you told Flash to stay quiet."

"Well you can stay quiet too!" Bogo turned back to Judy and sighed. "You already know this is a dangerous case, Hopps. You've already lost Nick by taking matters into your own paws! Whether or not he wanted to disprove foxes are guilty of this is irrelevant! He's a good mammal, and I know for a fact he himself had nothing to do with the kidnappings! But if what that margay..." he quickly checked his notes, "Marcello said has any truth behind it then we cannot rule out a risk that he may in fact be helping them."

"He ain't helpin' 'em!"

"Will you please shut up, fox?! Or I'm going to have to have you detained until you calm down?"

Finnick slumped in his seat and folded his arms.

"Listen to me, Hopps." Bogo leant forward on his desk. "I can't ignore what you've done. Not only have you endangered your own life, you've also endangered two civilians, despite how talented they might be at... wielding a bat or... driving at high speeds." He gave the two somewhat nervous mammals a sideways glance. "This isn't an action movie, Judy. This is real life! You or someone else could get killed, and you run that risk since this gang are now clearly aware that there are police close to discovering their hideout and crimes!"

"So you think Nick is being used against us?" she asked.

"If he wasn't before, he certainly will be now." Bogo rose up again and folded his arms. "Did you even think to check that feline for a wire tap?"

Judy's purple eyes widened. "He was wired?"

"Of course he was wired. You really think an organisation like this isn't going to keep tabs on their kidnappers?"

Judy stumbled over her words as she tried to string all this together. How much information had been fed back to the gang's leaders? Probably too much. She'd never felt so small and helpless in her life.

"Look, Hopps. I can understand you wanting to look out for your partner and his job, I really can. You might not think you were trying to act the hero, but sadly that's the case. You can't be a hero in this job, you have to act sensibly! And right now, you're looking at the likelihood of being fired while Nick is looking at being reassigned a new partner. One of you two might even be a potential candidate." He looked over at Finnick and Flash.

The sloth's jaw dropped slowly while Finnick stood up in his seat and waved a paw at the Chief.

"Hey, I might've been Nick's partner for years, but that don't mean I wanna be no cop!"

Bogo made a thoughtful noise and shrugged. "I suppose on second thought you might be a little too impulsive." He turned back to Judy and frowned. "I'm going to give you _one chance_ to redeem yourself, Hopps. You can either fix all this, or stay out of it. But I want no more impulsive behaviour from you. You know where this base is, and you have a choice. Take a team with you to find it - who I shall select - or you go back to meter maid duty while my team goes without you. Your two friends are to go back to their ordinary lives, where they'll be safe. You will not endanger anyone else, you understand me? And once this case is brought to conclusion, you and I will have another little chat about where you stand. Understood?"

Judy stared silently at Bogo and nodded.

"Now." He leant forwards slightly with his arms crossed. "What shall it be?"

...

Judy stood outside the ZPD while she waited for the rest of the SWAT team to gather themselves together. She didn't recognise most of the mammals. The members she'd spent every morning grouped up with were police officers, not trained specialists with dart guns, sniper rifles and full body armour. She watched one particular rhino, most of his body hidden behind a sheet of perspex. She didn't think for one minute she'd be able to lift up one of their shields.

The revolving door creaked and she turned as Finnick and Flash emerged from it. The small fox looked rather irritated while Flash gave a small glance back at the building and joined Finnick at her side.

"Can't believe he had a wire," Finnick muttered. "I'm sorry 'bout all this, Hopps."

"Don't be," she said. "I'm the one who roped you two into it. How was it? Was he mad?"

"He just kept pointin' out how we shoulda 'left it to the real cops'." He raised his claws in an air quote.

Judy glanced down at her feet. Somehow she felt that was Bogo's jibe at her for being such an idiot.

"Hey, don't take it personally," said Finnick. "He was right, we ain't real cops, but you are. You help that team go and rescue Nick and all the others and prove to him you're as much a cop as any o' them ginormous mammals. Right?"

An involuntary grin spread across her face and he returned it and gave her a thumbs up.

"Alright, I'm gonna give Flash a lift home so don't worry 'bout him. Take care o' yourself, fuzz."

Before he could turn away, she dropped onto her knees and pulled him into a tight hug. The small fox wriggled with a shout of retaliation then sighed with defeat, briefly wrapping his arms around her neck.

"Okay, Hopps," he said. "I told you I don't do cushy, so that's enough."

She gave a small laugh and released him.

He took a step back and cleared his throat before turning back to his van. "Come on, Speedy. Let's get you home."

Flash watched him strut towards his van then turned to Judy.

"I'm... sorry... you got... into... trouble."

She opened her mouth to apologise herself, but he cut her off as he continued, pulling a card from his pocket.

"But... if you... need... anything... call me... I'll... be... there... as soon... as... I can."

She waited patiently for him to finish handing her his business card before she took it. A small tear had formed in her eye and she wiped it away briskly.

"Thank you, Flash. But I can't risk putting you in danger again. Bogo was right, it was foolish."

"Maybe... so. But... I was... happy... that... I... could... be of... help... to you."

He turned away from her and moved towards the van. Finnick watched him through the wound down window from behind a pair of sun shades. She thought he might have looked at her for a moment but it was hard to say.

Two large shapes appeared beside her and she looked up at the tiger and wolf sent to accompany her.

"A sloth and a fox, huh?" Wolford shrugged. "How did that work out for you?"

"I'd say impressively with the amount of information they found out," said Jackson. "It's a shame they don't work for us." He looked down at Judy and raised an eyebrow. "So. What else can you tell us about this group before we go driving into their hideout?"

She found a tranquilliser rifle thrust into her paws and she stuttered.

"I think we told the Chief everything we know," she said. "Coyotes and wildcats, all armed."

"No idea what the warehouse looks like?"

"We didn't get chance to check. He called us back before we could scope it out."

"Probably not a bad move," said the tiger. "An unarmed rabbit wouldn't have post much of a threat, especially not at night. Come on, let's get a move on."

She watched after the two larger officers for a moment then trotted to catch up. As she climbed into the back of their car, she heard a bang as Finnick's van backfired before pulling out from his parking spot. The exhaust fired again as he zipped past them, not so much as giving her a glance as he drove past.

She couldn't help feeling a little sad as she watched the colourful vehicle vanish around a corner, out of sight.

...

The sun was rising, and bringing with it the immense heat that Sahara Square was known for. Fortunately Wolford kept the windows up and the air conditioning on as they drove along the sandy roads past the sandstone buildings and vibrant entertainment. Most of the casinos, clubs and theatres were now closed, or closing, their visitors making their way back home for bed. Some of them already had shades and sun hats on to protect them from the oncoming blaze of heat and threat of sandstorms.

The Canyonlands poked up on their far left just before the horizon and Wolford turned the car towards it, all the time nattering to the tiger. Neither of them had said a word to her about being called out when they were meant to be at home in bed. Neither of them seemed to object, being as pleasant as they often were to her. Both of them, however, had expressed pity at her situation. Not to mention some level of understanding, but they both agreed strongly with Bogo that she should have requested back up much sooner. She felt a little sick with the welling guilt that she'd put many mammals out with her impulsive plan of action.

She also didn't know what to expect. All that talking Marcello had done had seemed more like a way of intimidating her and her two friends, but he'd clearly been sending information back. The more she thought back at it, the clearer it was. He'd even gone so far as to single out their individual species. The mockery he'd thrown at her about 'going rogue' would also have indicated to his boss that there was only one police officer and two other mammals that weren't part of the force.

Had his rant about Nick actually been a way to single him out to the rest of the gang? Her stomach knotted as she tried to suppress every single worst case scenario that threatened to play out in her mind.

' _Think positive, Judy. You're going to rescue Nick and every other mammal in that hideout_.'

Her mental pep talk made her feel a little better, but she couldn't help still feeling a little anxious.

The warehouse came into view beyond the crags of the Canyonlands, and just beyond it, hidden behind sparse greenery and seemingly unnoticed by Wolford and Jackson, was the tell-tail paintwork of Finnick's trademark van.

She gulped.

Okay. Make that incredibly anxious.

...

 **Please R &R! =D**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N - Thanks for all reviews, follows and faves! Monday's update will be the last chapter!**

10

"Okay, listen to me," Judy told her two companions. "We can't rush in there guns blazing. Someone needs to check out the perimeter to make sure it's safe."

Jackson looked back at her over the headrest. "We're professionals, Hopps. We know what we're doing."

"Then you know you risk loads of lives by just letting the SWAT team run in there?"

"The SWAT team won't just run inside. They need to set up the lights first," said Wolford. "Calm down, Hopps."

She slumped back into her seat and looked out of the window. "I'm sorry, I've never been sent on a SWAT mission before."

It felt very quiet. There were no mammals hovering around the Canyonlands except the lone police car she was sitting in and Finnick's van – still unnoticed – beyond the greenery. She desperately wanted to get out of the car and find out what the fennec fox was up to, but she couldn't risk getting herself into trouble again, or Finnick and Flash for that matter. That was if Flash was even there; Finnick had said he was driving the sloth back home.

"Please let me go out there," she said. "I'm small, it will be easier for me to hide and let you know what the situation is."  
Jackson shook his head. "I don't think so. If they see you, you'll blow everything. Plus, if you get hurt-"

"I'm wearing my police armour," she said. "I'll be careful, trust me."

Wolford looked at the tiger and shrugged his shoulders. "She has a point. She _is_ small, and there's enough rocks and coverage. It would be easier to hide her than either of us out there."

Jackson exhaled through his nose and waved a paw. "Fine. But take your radio and fill us in. Understood? If we let you mess this up, the Chief will have all three of our heads."

Wolford sighed. "Tell me about it. I really don't want another tail kicking off him again."

Judy thanked them and slipped out of the car, closing the door as silently as she could. It was so hot, and it wasn't even close to noon. She understood why most mammals in Sahara Square opt to become nocturnal and spend all day inside air conditioned homes. Compared to Downtown it was deathly quiet.

She threw the tranquilliser gun onto her back and crept along the road, keeping herself low while keeping one eye on the warehouse. It too appeared empty, the windows either boarded up or covered with blinds to keep out the sun and heat. Like the other buildings in this area of Zootopia they were a rustic orange-brown, the stonework worn from violent sandstorms. The crags from the Canyonlands were also heavily weathered, smooth unlike the kind you'd find in a mountain.

She dropped onto her hands and feet and scurried along the outcrop until it ran out, then launched herself behind a tough shrubbery. Her paws struck something soft and she went rolling tail over head with her limbs locked with those of another small mammal. Her unsuspecting victim hissed at her to get off and she pulled herself free, crouching a mere few inches away from the rather irritated fennec fox.

"Finnick?" she hissed back at him. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"Rescuin' Nick," he whispered. "And it was goin' fine until you tackled me."

"It was not going fine. There are an unknown number of armed mammals inside that warehouse. You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Relax, I'm wearin' a bullet proof vest under my shirt."

"But it's not exactly covering your head is it?"

She shook her head and pulled the shrubbery apart with her paws to see beyond it. She had a clear view of the door. One cat sat beside it with a shot gun resting against his legs. One guard. That couldn't be right. If Marcello had sent information back through the wire tap, shouldn't there be more of them?

"I was gonna take him out," said Finnick. "I'd had it planned. Smack him then see how many are inside."

"There's got to be more than one guard," she said. "Did you check the rear?"

"Of course I did. Door's boarded up. No one gets in or out that way."

"One entrance and exit." She picked up her radio and pressed the button, creating a static buzz from the earpiece. "I can see the door. One cat sat on guard. He seems to be sleeping, but he has a shot gun. The back door is boarded up completely, so there's no getting in that way."

"You got all that quick," came Wolford's voice directly into her ear. "Nimble bunny. Guess we didn't make a bad choice letting you go out."

"There's just one problem," she said. "Why is there only one guard? I'm worried there's more hiding somewhere, or they're all armed and waiting inside."

"We won't know until we find out," said Wolford. "The SWAT team is setting up lights nearby. Do you have a clear shot of the cat? If you can tranq him then that will clear the front."

"I can try." Judy reached for the gun and aimed it at the feline. "I only have one shot at this and he's a fair way away."

"Well, don't blow your cover, Hopps," said Wolford. "If you can't hit him from where you are, get closer."

She took that advice, keeping herself low while crawling from the bushes. The next cover was a few feet away, and her uniform and fur didn't exactly blend in well with sand. Finnick dragged her back by the collar of her shirt and reached for her gun.

"Finnick, what are you doing?" she hissed.

He said nothing, scurrying out of the foliage and across the sand. Unlike her, he blended in much easier, although his shirt stood out, not to mention his oversized bat was fastened clumsily to his back. Once he'd reached the next plant – a cactus – he leant around it and fired off the gun. Its silenced shot sounded no louder than a thump on the arm. The cat's ears didn't even twitch, but once the dart found its home in the soft flesh of his shoulder he let out a yelp and leapt to his feet, tugging the feathered dart free. He reached for his fallen gun, scanning his green eyes over the perimeter, but he wasn't standing for long. The sedative took quick action and he crumpled to the ground.

Judy buzzed for the police car once more. "The cat is down. There's no sign of any other guards."

"Excellent, we'll be with you shortly. Stay undercover."

She couldn't stay undercover. Finnick was moving forwards with her dart gun. She leapt from the bushes and ran towards him, ducking beyond the plants and crags. By the time she reached him he was already retrieving the cat's gun.

"Finnick, please, stay out of this," she begged.

He shoved her gun into her paws and frowned. "I ain't stayin' out o' this. You got me involved in this and I wanna see it through. I wanna know Nick's safe and in good paws, and I can't do that from my sofa while cops run riot and blow everythin'."

Judy shook her head in bewilderment. "You have that little faith in us?"

"No. I have that little faith in _them_." He nodded at the emptiness behind them, but she knew he meant the ones waiting in cars, hidden out of sight. "You, I trust with my life. I wouldn't be doin' this with you if I didn't."

She watched him as he reached for the door handle, momentarily stunned by his words. Then she remembered one key detail.

"Where's Flash?"

"Waitin' in my van in case we need a speedy escape. Don't worry, he's safe. I had a spare vest."

She shook her head in disbelief. Any other questions she wanted to ask him would have to wait. He pulled the door open and aimed the shot gun. A bullet fired, but it wasn't from him. It struck the wood and splintered. Finnick ducked back and ushered for Judy to take action. He wasn't going to use the shot gun?

She gave herself a mental shake and leant around the corner, firing the tranquilliser gun blindly into the dark. She didn't hear it strike home. Several more bullets fired, two of which blasted through the door, taking chunks of wood with it. Splinters rained down upon her and she flinched. Finnick snatched the gun from her and fired it himself, the darts hitting home with two soft thunks.

The gun action beyond the door stopped and he tossed the gun back at her.

"I thought carrots were meant to help you see in the dark," he grunted. "Did my mother lie to me?"

Judy's nose twitched as she looked from the splintered door to the small fox and back. He retrieved his shot gun and switched it with his bat before kicking what remained of the door open. Immediately he leapt back from a large canine shape, light glinting off a knife in the coyote's paw. Finnick's bat arced upwards and struck the coyote's paw, causing the canine to howl in pain and his knife to clatter onto the bare, wooden floor.

Wolford's voice buzzed in her ear. "Hopps, come in? Officer Hopps? We heard gunfire. Is something happening?"

She pushed the button on her radio and spoke back quickly, "I ran into a spot of trouble. You'll understand when you get here. I'm inside the warehouse."  
"You're inside?! The SWAT team aren't ready yet. They can't just rush in and help you! Back off, Hopps!"

"I can't!" She sighed through gritted teeth and backed away from the door, covering her mouth with her paw to dull her voice. "That small fox who helped me? Well he's here, and he's gone inside. I can't just leave him."

She could hear both Wolford and Jackson groan down the microphone.

"Okay, listen here, Hopps," said Jackson. She could picture him taking the radio off a rather stressed Wolford. "I understand you want to protect your friend. It's noble, believe me, it is. But you're going to risk getting yourself hurt, or worse – killed."

"I risk losing him, too, especially if I do nothing," she said. "And there is no way I'm going to let that happen. I mean – what would you two do in this situation?" When they said nothing, she nodded and pursed her lips. "Sorry, Jackson. I'm going after him."

As she moved beyond the splintered door, she heard the tiger's voice in her ear. "Be careful, Hopps."

She tiptoed around the fallen coyote. She hadn't seen what had happened during that fight, but the canine was unconscious. She glanced a dart sticking out of his neck and nodded to herself. Finnick hadn't clubbed him over the head like she'd initially been thinking.

A movement to her right made her freeze until she realised it was Finnick leaning over a cat. She glanced around, straining to see in what little light reached the far ends of the warehouse, then rushed to join the fox.

Four mammals were down. The two that had fired at them, the coyote, and the shaggy pallas cat Finnick was sticking a dart into. His other paw was clutching a wad of feathers.

"I kept some darts from your gun," he said. "You should have plenty left provided you can actually aim."

She frowned and opened her mouth to retort, but words died on her lips as she spotted two red dots hovering around the base of his ears. She looked back over her shoulders at a flight of stairs that split at the top into two corridors, both floors rimmed with wooden rails. Leaning over them was a pack of coyotes and wildcats aiming sniper rifles at the both of them.

"Erm... Finnick?"

He followed her eyes to the stairs and muttered something under his breath which she thought might have been, "Oh, cheese and crackers."

Two more coyotes and three cats scurried down the stairs, keeping their rifles aimed on her and Finnick.

He fastened his paws around her waist and threw her backwards, using his own weight to propel her. She landed behind the fallen wildcat, narrowly avoiding a stream of bullets. Finnick scurried on all fours away from her and stood up, waving his bat at the nearest gun. It fired blindly into the floor above and a serval keeled over the rail and plummeted to the ground below, crushing one of his allies.

Finnick's target dropped his gun and clutched at his paw while the small fox stuck a dart in his leg and moved towards the stairs.

Judy propped herself up and fired her dart gun into a cat who had his gun trained on Finnick. The dart hit home and she rolled as the darted feline and the coyote beside him both targeted her, narrowly avoiding their bullets.

Finnick reached the coyote just before her second dart hit home. He moved on forwards up the stairs, ducking and moving too fast for them to target. Rifles fell from paws and fur flew as the pack of criminals went tumbling down to the ground below. Judy darted another cat who tried to grab Finnick then trained her gun on the ones on the top floor who were desperate to stop the fox. The problem was, she wasn't fast enough. Neither was the sedative. Two of her darts hit, and as her third one reached home the fox let out a yelp and stumbled back down the stairs, his fluffy tail arcing over him as he landed awkwardly against the bannister rail atop the pile of unconscious mammals.

The number of rifles left were few and as she raced towards her friend she took out two more cats before the remaining ones bailed and escaped further into the warehouse.

Finnick struggled to push himself up and rolled off the pile of furry bodies onto the bare floor. He clutched at his left shoulder and she recoiled back when she spotted the blood marring his tan paw. Another bullet had torn through the stomach of his shirt which thankfully had done no more damage than blow him backwards down the stairs. He rolled onto his back and flinched as he tried to push himself up with his good arm.

She quickly buzzed the police car and reached out to check his wounded shoulder. "Wolford, he's down! My friend is down!"

Finnick groaned and wafted her paw away. "I ain't down, I'm fine!"

"What happened, Hopps?" Wolford asked.

"He's alive, but-"

"Cut it out!" Finnick snapped. "Forget about me, go find Nick!"

"But your arm," she said.

"I got another one! I'm fine, now go!"

She stared at him for a moment, warring between whether or not she should just leave him. Finally, she said, rather bluntly, "No."

"That's right, stay where you are, Hopps," said Wolford. "The SWAT team is almost ready. Jackson and I are on our way."

Finnick's muzzle crinkled into a frown. "No?"

"I'm not leaving you," she said. "If they come back they'll finish you off. You can't fight them like this!"

"Right, and I ain't gonna be able to protect you either. So go!"

"I don't need protecting!" she snapped. "But like this, you do."

He shook his head and chuckled. "I always told Nick I'd look out for you just like him and I do with each other. He'd turn me into a rug if he knew I was puttin' you at risk."

"Well, I don't think he'd be happy with me either if he knew I'd left you here like this."

He didn't say anything, just kept his brown eyes locked on hers. Then both their ears twitched as someone moved through the open door.

Jackson and Wolford rushed towards them, the latter whistling with surprise as he looked around at the fallen coyotes and wildcats.

"You two haven't done bad," said Jackson as he paused to examine one. "But we'll take it from here, fox."

Judy helped Finnick to his feet and tried to lead him over to the tiger, but instead he grabbed her paw and tried to catch her eye. She looked down at him and he gave her a half smile.

"Go find Nick." He squeezed her paw and let it go before stooping to retrieve his bat.

"Finnick, can you really fight like that?" she asked.

"My thoughts exactly," said Jackson. "You're just going to be a liability."

Finnick waved at the stairs with his bat. "They're all up there, ain't they? Hopps, you go with the wolf. I'll stay down here with Stripes."

Jackson and Wolford exchanged glances and the tiger sighed and rubbed a paw over his face.

"Why me... Fine!" Jackson threw his arms in the air. "I'll stay with the bat-wielding fox. Buzz me if you need back up."

Wolford gave his partner a sympathetic smile then ushered Judy up the stairs after him.

"How are you for darts?" he asked.

"A bit shy," she said.

He handed her a fresh belt of the colourful tranquillisers then stopped on the landing, aiming his gun at the closed doors.

"It splits off here," he said. "I don't like it. We should probably wait. I don't want us to split up."

"Is there a chance they're keeping the victims downstairs?" she asked.

"It's always a possibility, but when your friend said 'they're all upstairs' it made me wonder what they're guarding."

She swallowed audibly and moved forwards towards one of the doors. Wolford hissed her name then padded after her, keeping his large body low. She stopped at one of the doors and peered through the mucky window. It was impossible to see what was behind it. There was no keyhole to peek through either.

She looked at the wolf then nodded to the door. He shook his head and nodded back to the stairs. She nodded to the stairs, shook her head then reached for the doorknob.

Wolford sighed and aimed his gun at the door, tensing every muscle in his body as it swung inwards on its rusty hinges, the noise echoing off the bare walls and sounding much louder than it actually was.

The only thing beyond that door was a pile of cardboard boxes, stacked in a haphazard fashion, each one with a hand-written sticker on it.

Judy paced inside and read over some of the boxes – 'Angora', 'Alpaca Wool', 'Sheep Wool', 'Squirrel'. She gulped and turned back from the room. Marcello had been telling the truth. They were fur farmers.

Wolford's muzzle was pulled tight as he read over each of the boxes, his paw clutching the gun so hard she feared he might break it, or accidentally set it off.

Her stomach felt like lead. All of those mammals kept here for their fur...

"Judy," he said, "I think Marcello was wrong about one thing."

She looked at him then followed his gaze. One of the boxes tucked in a corner bore a sticker she couldn't read from this angle. She moved towards it, squinting to read it in the dim light.

Her heart almost stopped.

It said 'Fox'.

...

 **Please R &R! =D**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N - Here's the last chapter. It's a bit long, but for a finale it's okay right?**

 **Thanks to all reviews, faves and follows! You're all awesome! =D I hope you enjoy this chapter as I try to send this story out with a bang!**

11

Judy shook her head in disbelief as she walked slowly backwards out of the room. She couldn't bare to look in those boxes, but as far as she was concerned the evidence was all there. Her back brushed against Wolford's leg and he placed a paw on her head with a sympathetic sigh.

"Come on, Hopps. Let's find those poor mammals."

She tried to stifle the images that were careening through her mind and nodded stiffly, turning to follow the wolf out of the terrible room.

Wolford glanced left then right and turned to the right, keeping his gun trained on the next door along.

A sharp chunk echoed behind them and Judy's ears pricked, as did the wolf's. They both looked back slowly and her breath caught in her throat when she saw a spotted wildcat with a shotgun aimed right at her head. Two coyotes stood on either side of him, each aiming a sniper rifle.

"That's as far as yous are goin'," said the cat.

Once again, a familiar accent. Identical to the wildcat they'd recently handed over to the ZPD. As she scrutinised the cat's face she noticed he was another margay, almost identical to Marcello save for a jagged scar over his left eye.

"Now, yous gonna tell me what yous done to my brother?" He narrowed his eyes, causing that scar to crease. "Or am I gonna have to shoot yous down an' make a mess o' the nice, clean floor?"

"I wouldn't do anything too hasty." Wolford turned his dart gun onto the cat. "There's a whole SWAT team surrounding the area."

"I don't care 'bout no SWAT team!" the margay shrieked. "You lower yous guns or the rabbit gets turned into swiss cheese!"

Wolford raised his left paw and lowered the gun to the floor. She did the same, keeping one wary eye on the margay. There were a few shouts of retaliation from the ground below which drew the cat's eye for a moment and he sneered, spitting onto the floor as he turned a blind eye to the chaos to advance towards them.

"Now-" He was cut off as a dart struck one of the coyote in the neck.

The canine's tongue lolled out as he tried to remove it, but he crumpled to the floor as the margay watched, his face twisted with rage. He turned to the stairs and his tail puffed up to twice its size.

"Can't you two handle one small, wounded fox?!"

He aimed his own shot gun and fired, causing someone below to yelp.

"Finnick!" Judy rushed to the rail, but froze when both the lone coyote and margay trained their guns back onto her.

"I know your pal's wearin' a vest. Besides, I want yous all alive," he said. "Now... where was I before I was so rudely interrupted?"

The coyote looked down at his fallen partner then cleared his throat. "Boss, I don't think we're in any position to-"

"Shut your dumb face, dog!" the margay snapped. "Or shall I add coyote wool to the market? Huh?!"

"Seems pretty desperate," muttered Wolford.

"What was that?" The margay's face creased as a frown warped his features.

It was clear he hadn't heard him. His words were still being processed in Judy's mind as the wolf pushed her backwards and blocked her with his huge frame. He nudged her further behind him, urging her to go.

So she went.

Her large feet kicked the floor as she threw herself down the corridor towards the next door.

"Oi! Don't let her get away, you dope!"

One of the guns fired but she couldn't see which one. It was followed by a sick thud and a clatter. She ducked, sliding along the wooden floor on her stomach as she watched the bullet blow a hole in the nearest door.

He'd missed his mark by a mile

She looked back to see the coyote sprawled on the floor, tripped by Wolford. His gun lay out of his reach as the dazed canine tried to retrieve it.

She darted back and grabbed the rifle, noting the look of worry on the coyote's face. She had no intention of using it, but he didn't know that.

Giving Wolford's back another glance, she made a beeline for the door.

"Noble of you, wolf," said the cat. "But I hope you know them darts you use are pretty slow compared to bullets. You hit me with one o' them an' I got enough time to blow a bullet through your skull." He grinned at the sullen expression on the wolf's face. "So. You gonna go join your friends downstairs or do I have to use force?"

Wolford raised both his paws and moved towards the cat. The margay stepped aside, keeping his gun aimed right at his head.

"There's a good dog," he said. "You go join 'em now an' I'll go get that dumb rabbit. Rodney! You take our friend downstairs, you hear?"

The tripped coyote nudged Wolford towards the stairs. When he reached them his heart sank. The lobby was teaming with wildcats and coyotes, some of which were still recovering from the sedative. His muzzle creased with confusion and worry. That stuff was meant to last an hour. The only explanation here was that this gang was carrying something to reverse the effects.

...

Judy sat with her back to the closed door, desperately trying to silence her breathing as she strained her ears to hear what was going on back on the other side. She could hear that margay pacing along the corridor, his gruff voice calling for her in what she took to be a mocking tone.

"Where are you, bunny?" he purred. "You can come out. Kind, old Alessandro just wants to talk to you 'bout his brother."

She mouthed the name 'Alessandro' and looked over her shoulder at the door. So that was this margay's name? She strained her ear, wondering why he'd suddenly stopped moving. He'd not tried the door. She hadn't heard him try any door. They must have been on the same wavelength. If she heard him open a door, she'd slip out of the one she was in and make a break for it, and he knew it. She'd avoided the one that had been blown through. Nothing had been on the other side anyway, at least not that she could see. This room, however, had two bunk beds, one of which was at the far end. She wondered if it would be possible to hide beneath one and not be seen, but the feline's night vision would be much better than hers. The chances of her going unseen were minimal.

She had to accept the fact she was trapped inside this room. That her only feasible option was to open the door, sprint for freedom and hope she could outrun him. She'd grown tired of waiting for the SWAT team to rush in and do their job. Where were they? They had only been outside setting up their lights when she'd snuck inside with Finnick. She'd seen one of the lights flash on while she'd been hiding, casting erratic shadows in the corridor and stretching its rays through the gaps in the woodwork. Surely they were done by now?

Surely this gang hadn't taken them all down?

She reached up towards the doorknob and gulped audibly as she saw a shadow move through the slats. He was just on the other side. Did he know what room she was in? Had he seen her shadow through the gaps in the wood? Could he smell her? She grit her teeth together and turned the knob anyway.

Alessandro chuckled. "'Bout time. I'm goin' grey out here."

She frowned at the grinning margay. "Are you armed?"

He raised his empty paws and shrugged. "I'm as unarmed as you are, bunnykins. Now, you gonna tell me what you done with Marcello?"

"He's behind bars," she said flatly.

The margay pursed his lips then sighed. "Figures."

"Why are you so bothered?" she asked. "I thought it would be obvious by now."

"Oh, it's plenty obvious, rabbit. Problem is, he told yous way too much an' now I gotta clean up his mess, see?"

"You need to do it quick then since there's a SWAT team outside," she said.

He shrugged. "They ain't gonna come in here an' risk lives of hostages, are they? That would be incredibly foolish."

She felt her nose begin to twitch and she strained her ears in the momentary silence. A slight jingle was coming from his right pocket every time he moved. Keys. It had to be his keys.

"You see, we've moved your little friend and two big friends to a dark room where those lights can't get through. They got one blarin' through the front door an' I can't risk my business just 'cos some cat gave too much away an' some bunny tryin' to be a hero came rushin' in thinkin' she could rescue everyone. That's the sorta thing that only happens in children's books, cottontail." A grin spread across his face and he let his arms drop to his sides. "So this is how your story's gonna end. My dogs keep the SWAT team at bay while the cute, little bunny realises she's talkin' to a professional liar."

Judy's eyes widened as he reached behind his back, pulling out his shotgun. Before it could level to her head, she dropped onto all fours and rushed at him, stabbing a dart into his thigh, then slipping her paw into his right pocket. Her fingers fastened around a cold key chain just before she let herself slide through the rail, holding onto it by one paw as she hovered over the drop below.

He turned his livid green eyes onto hers and tried to tug the dart free.

"I thought you were unarmed!" he hissed.

"You assumed I was unarmed. I just didn't correct you." She gave him a half-smile and shrugged. "It's called a hustle, sweetheart."

Then she let go.

Every muscle went limp as she prepared herself to roll, tucking her head towards her abdomen. Her right shoulder grazed the floor, sending a shock of pain through it and she let herself roll onto her back. The light was dazzling and she placed a paw over her eyes to block out as much of it as she could. Springing to her feet, she clenched her teeth together at the pain in her shoulder and rubbed at it. It wasn't broken or dislocated, fortunately, but it hurt more than she'd hoped it would.

The first thing she noticed was the lack of bodies. All the fallen mammals had vanished, save for the bodies of the serval and the coyote who'd been crushed in the cat's fall. It didn't take her long to put two and two together. Alessandro had said his guards were dealing with the SWAT team. They'd clearly woken up from the sedative somehow.

A few shouts came from outside. It was hard to pinpoint but she was certain it wasn't around the front door. That would be the guards trying to push the SWAT team back, although she wasn't sure they'd have much success. Sooner or later, the SWAT team would be rushing into the building, and she really hoped it would be soon.

She gave the upstairs corridor a quick glance. It was hard to see in the bright light, but the cat was now lying in a heap against the rail, one of his arms hanging through it. The dart lay discarded on the floor beneath him.

Good. With him out of the way she might be able to find the captives. She quickly retrieved the keys she'd dropped in her fall then sprinted across the hall, cutting around the edge of the stairs. First thing was first – find the victims. If she found those, they could make a run for freedom. Send them out the front way since there were no guards around the lights. If it were too bright for her it would be much too bright for nocturnal mammals.

She paused beside a closed door and listened. Muffled voices. She thought she heard Wolford, but she wasn't sure. If they were being held in this room, then were the captives here too? It was too risky to go in alone.

She scooted past it as quietly as she could and made for the next door. No sounds from behind it, so she tugged it open revealing a steep flight of stairs. Musty air reached her nostrils and she crinkled her nose. The second and third steps looked rotten. Part of her wanted to check where it went, but she didn't trust the stairs to hold her wait. And from the smell of it, it didn't seem used. Likely a cellar or a hidden escape route. She closed the door quietly and moved to the next door.

Before she could reach the handle, a loud voice came from the room where they were holding her friends. She only caught the last few words.

"... see where he got to."

Then the door opened.

She didn't waste any time. She tugged the knob around and slipped inside just before the heavy footsteps of one of the gang members reached her ears.

"Oi! Look at this! He's been taken out!" She recognised that gruff voice. The big coyote from the market. The one who'd been waiting at the stall. The one she'd assumed was the boss in this operation.

"No way!" another voice, higher than the first. "Someone took out that old cat?" Laughter. "Saves me doin' it, hey?"

"Shush, Kelvin." The gruff coyote was trying not to laugh. "He might be playin' dead. He'll have your hide if he hears you speakin' like that."

"Fine, I'll go revive him. Surprised he don't have no smellin' salts on him."

Judy finally took the time to check the room she was in. It was dark, only a faint light coming through the shoddy blind at the far end. Large glass panels rose up on each wall and a faint crying reached her ears.

The captives!

The glass panels were screens to vivariums.

She leapt to her feet and rushed to check the first cell. Five sheep cowered in a corner, two of them looking not a day older than ten years. It was sparse, the only items in there being half-eaten plates of food. Each sheep had been shorn so their fur was cropped close to their bodies. Their eyes widened when they saw her and one of the adults opened her mouth to speak, but Judy shushed her with a finger to her lips. She scurried along to the next tank. Four alpacas, again told to remain quiet while she checked out the room. All the mammals were here. The squirrel and badger were kept in separate tanks, the twin bunnies were kept together, both of which were huddled asleep in a corner. Next to the rabbit vivarium sat Nick. He opened his eyes when he noticed movement, but the brief look of anger was washed away when he realised who it was.

"Judy!"

He leapt to his feet and rushed to the glass but she shushed him as she fumbled with the keys. She hadn't failed to notice his poor tail had been sheared like the other animals and she tried her best not to let it bother her. Not yet. But her paws were shaking. At least he looked okay, she had to remind herself of that. They'd not done anything else to him, thankfully.

All the mammals in here looked so sorry for themselves. She couldn't imagine a single one of them had given their consent to have their fur sheared, and had been stuffed into small enclosures with no promise to see the outside world.

Finally she found what she was looking for. A long, cylindrical key. It opened the locks on every vivarium. She started with Nick and once the fox was out he threw his arms around her.

"Boy, am I happy to see you," he said.

"Me too. I'm just glad you're safe," she said. "But I need you to get the rest of the mammals to safety. Okay? There's a SWAT team just outside."

She filled him in on the situation as she unlocked the other vivariums. He didn't look remotely impressed that Finnick and the two officers had been taken.

"You have to let me help you," he told her.

"No." She scooped up one of the angora bunnies, quickly telling them it would be okay before turning back to the fox. "You have to get everyone out of here."

The sleepy rabbits were bundled into Nick's arms while the rest of the captives gathered around him with looks of worry and fear on their faces. One of the alpacas tried to put on a brave face, offering to help Nick get to the exit and relieving him of one of the rabbits.

The other bunny looked up at Nick. "Are we going home, Mister Fox?"

"Sure we are, sweetheart," he said. "Don't you worry."

Judy rushed to the window, the conversation still continuing between the angora and fox. She desperately hoped the window would provide an escape route.

"Where's our mum?" the bunny asked.

"Back home," said Nick. "Waiting for you. We told her we'd find you and look! We did."

"You met her? She's scared of foxes." The little bunny frowned. "Did you tell her she's a big silly? 'Cos she is."

Nick looked a little taken aback, then laughed.

Judy smiled at Nick then quickly inspected the blind. Outside she could see one of the SWAT vans. But her heart sank when she realised the SWAT team had been separated. Two officers were holding back gunfire from three wildcats and a coyote. Another SWAT officer rushed behind them, taking down one of the cats just before the coyote clubbed him across the back of the legs with the butt of his rifle. She couldn't see what mammal it was, but he went down with quite a thud.

If Alessandro had woken up, the main entrance wouldn't be safe any more. And this window wasn't looking much safer either.

That just left the basement, and she had no idea where it even went.

She shook it off and made for the door. They'd have to get out the main way, and if that meant sneakily tranquillising the larger mammals then that was what she was going to do. She braced herself by the door, clutching a dart in one paw.

Then she heard the sirens.

Nick's ears flicked up and he turned to look at the window. The both of them rushed towards it and peered outside. Two more SWAT vans screeched to a halt, unloading another two teams. The coyotes and wildcats were overwhelmed.

"What's going on? I can't see?" The little bunny twisted in Nick's arms as she craned to see through the blind.

A grin spread across Judy's face and she raced for the door. "I guess they managed to call for backup!"

As she opened the door, Nick said, rather flatly, "I wouldn't get your hopes up just yet."

Alessandro stood on the other side, his arms folded across his chest.

"Pesky little rabbit," he grunted.

Judy placed her paw on her hip and shook her head. "It's over, Alessandro. As soon as that SWAT team comes in here, you'll be taken back to the ZPD. Just let them all go."

The cat chuckled and the corner of his mouth turned up into a smirk. "Oh. They can go. It's you and the fox who won't be gettin' out o' here alive. The mess yous made is irreparable. That goof of a dog is a moron to trust _you_ , fox."

Nick frowned at the cat as he bundled the bunny into the arms of a sheep and ushered her to go. The group of mammals hesitated then took off after an alpaca.

"No! Mister Fox!" The little bunny stretched her arms as far as they would go as the ewe carried her towards the door.

"So, the first one to die is you, fox. And for her troubles, little cottontail can watch as the precious fox she rushed here to rescue is taken down by the very gang he tried to con." Alessandro cocked his shotgun and grinned. "Say goodbye, sly."

Judy's heart was hammering in her chest. She braced herself to lunge forwards with her dart, but the margay had one eye fixed on her.

"Drop your dart, rabbit," he growled.

She hesitated for a moment, meeting that green eye. The sedative wouldn't be fast enough. If she tranquillised him he'd definitely shoot Nick. It wasn't even worth the risk. She raised her paws, letting the dart fall harmlessly to the floor with a clatter.

Alessandro placed a claw on the trigger and Nick closed his eyes. Once again, Judy felt helpless. Nothing she could do.

"Drop your weapon!"

The voice boomed from the door, followed by a stampede of feet as the SWAT team finally rushed in. Two massive shields were raised to cover the bodies of the lead mammals while the rest of the team aimed their guns around them at the margay.

The feline let out a defeated laugh and dropped his gun to the ground.

Two of the team members broke free, clutching shields over their torsos as they rushed at the closed door to Judy's left. The remaining gang members were led out into the hallway, their paws on their heads.

Wolford, Jackson and Finnick followed after them, the latter Judy was relieved to notice had no other wounds than the shot to his shoulder. The victim of Alessandro's bullet turned out to be a young coyote who was nursing his right paw.

"All right, you two," said a rhino. "We got this cat. You get to the nearest police vehicle."

Judy and Nick followed two SWAT members towards the door, joining Finnick and the officers outside. Whatever the rhino and his team mate were saying to Alessandro didn't register in Judy's ears. She was too relieved to be out of that place. Relieved to have Nick back. Relieved the angora bunnies and the rest of the mammals were okay, safely tucked away inside a police van to be taken back to the station.

She gave a small glance to Nick and clasped her paws behind her back. "I'm sorry about your poor tail."

He shrugged and gave her a wide grin. "Hey, don't worry, Carrots. It'll grow back." He ruffled her ears. "Race you to the van!"

She watched him take off and chuckled. "Oh, Nick!"

She bolted after him but a yell made her look back over her shoulder and stumble over her own feet. Her violet eyes widened as her heart lurched into her throat.

Alessandro's grinning face stared back at her from between the two SWAT officers, one of their guns clutched in his paws and aimed right at her. The rhino was nursing a wounded knee, blood flowing over his hooves as he tried to stem the flow. The other officer had stepped back, his empty paws raised in defense. Her mind didn't work fast enough to process what exactly was happening. The next thing she saw was Finnick flying at her, knocking her sideways.

Then the gun fired.

The small fox yelped and flopped beside her, his paw clasped over his right ear.

"Finnick?" She placed a paw on his shoulder then looked back at Alessandro.

The margay now lay on the ground, two tasers fastened to his chest while he jerked about, sparks flying.

"Are you two all right?" Jackson hoisted both Finnick and Judy up with one arm each. "Get to the van, quick." Then he shook his head at Nick who was trying to break his way back towards them. "Get in the van! They're fine!"

"Flash." Finnick looked up at Jackson, his paw still fastened over his ear. Blood was running down his face, but it didn't seem to phase him.

"What?" The tiger raised an eyebrow.

"I got my own van. My friend's waitin' for me. Can't exactly leave him there, can I?"

"He's already gone," said Jackson. "The SWAT team told him to move. He's waiting at the station."

Judy looked down at the confused fox. A look of relief crossed his features and he shrugged. "Alright, let's go."

Nick was waiting anxiously in the back of the van. He helped Finnick up beside him and raised an eyebrow.

"Fin, what happened?"

The fennec frowned. "I took a bullet."

Nick watched him for a moment then laughed, slapping his knee with a paw.

"What's so funny?!" Finnick snapped.

"That you took a bullet for a cop."

Finnick flinched as Judy fussed about his ear. "What you doin', fuzz?"

"It's not bad, but you need to cover it. Nick, do you have a handkerchief?"

Nick reached across the smaller fox to hand Judy his green handkerchief. Finnick flinched again as she clasped it to his ear.

"Well, I didn't mean to take a bullet," he said. "My ears got in the way, that's all."

Nick laughed again. "You should hold them back next time."

Finnick growled then beat Judy's paw away so he could hold the handkerchief in place himself.

"Watch your tongue, Nick," he said.

Nick just smiled and leant back on the bench, folding his paws behind his head. He caught Judy's eye and his smile broadened.

"Thanks for coming to rescue me, Carrots," he said.

Judy felt her face heat up but she didn't look away from him. She shrugged. "It's what partners do."

...

Chief Bogo paced back and forth in his office, the rabbit and fox watching his every movement as he rubbed his snout, read over paperwork he'd already read, paused by the window. It had been a long, long meeting. Both Nick and Judy had been given the chance to speak. The one dreaded question that Judy had been bracing herself for was what exactly had happened to Nick after he'd entered the coyotes' van.

"They hustled me," he'd said. "As soon as I got to their warehouse, my phone rang. Of course, the picture of Judy that shows up has her in her police uniform so it wouldn't take a genius to put the two together. Alessandro took it and tossed me into one of the vivariums. He told me they'd not once been intending to accept my 'help'." He used air quotes around 'help' then shrugged. "One of the coyotes had been checking out my tail the entire ride as well."

As Judy ran this over in her mind during the intense silence, her eyes drifted to Nick's tail. Despite how cropped it looked he didn't seem too bothered. It lolled out of the back of the chair like it always did, occasionally flicking around as he waited for Bogo to finally say something.

"Well." When the water buffalo spoke, Judy practically leapt out of her seat. He turned to face them and leant back against the wall. "I think it's fairly obvious that I'm not impressed with either of you. You, Nick, shouldn't have gone undercover, or dragged your partner into it with you, despite how you felt about the accusation against foxes. It wasn't aimed at you personally, was it? You also shouldn't have gone into a van with complete strangers especially if you were suspecting them! Didn't your mother teach you that as a cub?"

Nick blanched and glanced down at his paws.

"As for you, Hopps. Taking an undercover car – twice. Getting your friend's car ruined. Endangering two civilians. Taking the case into your own paws rather than asking for help. And why? All because you were worried that Nick would lose his job, or his life? We take care to do things right here, Hopps. We wouldn't have endangered Nick's life, or the rest of the mammals. As for losing your job, you're the one more at risk of that here."

He paused, keeping his eyes on Judy's while she stared back, her nose twitching. Was this really it? Had she lost her job? She tried her best not to sink into her seat with despair.

"However." Bogo paused and folded his arms. "Since you did manage to find the criminals and release the captive mammals, I think it's fair that the two of you accept the same punishment. Two months unpaid suspension, followed by two months parking duty."

Judy stared back at him, mouth agape. She felt like she was about to float off her chair, but instead she fell forwards against his desk with her head in her arms.

"Oh thank goodness! I thought I was going to have to return to Bunny Burrows with my tail between my legs!"

Nick placed a paw on her shoulder and let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't get too carried away," said Bogo. "I'm not finished. You, Hopps, will be on probation for the first six months you return. But hopefully you won't try something so reckless again."

She sat up straight and smiled. "You have my word, Chief!"

Bogo frowned at her for a moment then let it melt away with a sigh. "All right, Hopps. The two of you can leave. Hopefully I can catch your two friends before they leave the station."

He ushered them from his office back into the lobby. Flash was sat with Clawhauser behind the front desk, sipping at a mug of coffee. When Clawhauser spotted them a grin spread across his face.

"I can tell by the looks on your faces that went well!" he said. "Oh, I'm so glad the two of you are okay! I've been worried sick. I could hardly eat!"

Nick smiled. "Well, it's great to see you too. And daylight for that matter!"

Clawhauser made a little 'oh' and put his paws to his mouth as he flopped back into his chair. Judy thought he was going to burst into tears of relief, or despair at the thought of what Nick and the others had recently been through.

"Okay, Clawhauser," said Bogo. "Cheery reunion aside, where is the little fox?"

Clawhauser and Flash looked down at the spot between them. Finnick's oddly deep voice boomed out from behind the desk.

"I'm here. Whatchu want?"

The fennec strutted out from behind it, licking donut sugar off his paws. His right ear now sported a small, white bandage where the bullet had clipped it.

"You're done with the nurse then?" Bogo nodded. "Guess it looked worse than it was?"

"Yeah, thankfully." Finnick folded his arms. "You gonna give me a lecture now?"

"No. Quite the opposite, actually." Bogo eyed Finnick as the fox's hard expression softened into one of surprise. "Despite getting involved in police business, I can't deny you two were of exceptional help. Especially you, Finnick, even to go so far as to risk your own life to save the life of one of my officers. That kind of bravery can't go unrewarded. As such, I'm going to expunge your record. You get a clean slate. You can start over. Whatever you do with it is up to you, but I was kind of hoping-" Bogo pulled a folded sheet of paper from his back pocket and handed it to the small fox, "that you might consider working for me."  
Finnick stared at the application form in disbelief, but it was only for a moment as his face creased with laughter.

"Me?! A cop?! You serious, fuzz?!"

Bogo huffed and waved a hoof in dismissal. "I shall pretend you didn't just call me 'fuzz'. As for you, Flash. How would you like to work in my data and analytics department? Or as a driver?"

"That's... very... generous. I... might... consider it... but... I'm... happy... in my... job."

"Hmm. That's a pity. You could always help out from there? Judy says you helped her trace a car once."

A huge smile spread across Flash's face. "I... would... like... that-"

"Well-"

"Very... much."

Bogo waited for a moment just in case Flash had more to add. "Well, I'll be sure to remember you." He turned back to Finnick. "I suppose I'll let you be on your way. But if you change your mind, you know where to find me."

"Yeh. Sure." Finnick waved a paw at Clawhauser as he turned away. "Thanks for the donut, Ben. Maybe I'll see you around, eh?"

"Oh, definitely!" said Clawhauser. "Take care now!"

He was still chuckling as he headed for the door, every glance at the application form in his paw only making him double over with laughter. He paused by the rotating door to look back at the desk.

"Oi, Speedy! I'll be waitin' for you in my van. You want a lift home, you better make it snappy. Capiche?"

Flash gave Clawhauser an apologetic glance and placed his mug back onto the desk before slipping slowly out of his seat.

Clawhauser leant over his desk as he watched them leave, his long tail swishing from side to side. "Oh, such a sweet little guy. I hope he reconsiders."

Judy sighed and scratched behind her ear. "I don't know..."

"Hey," said Nick. "He took it, didn't he? He could always have thrown it back in his face."

Bogo growled under his breath, drawing the red fox's attention up to him.

"Anyway," said the Chief. "I shall see you two in two months." He held up two fingers.

"Yes, two months." Judy turned to face him, a small smile playing at her lips. "Thanks again, Chief."

"Yes. Well. Don't make me regret it. Take care." He strode back towards his office.

Nick and Judy left the ZPD side by side, joining Flash on the sidewalk. Finnick was waiting for him in his van, his shades perched on his muzzle. He gave them a nod.

"You wantin' a lift too? If so, get in the back."

"No, thank you, Finnick," said Judy. "I think I could use the walk after all this."

"Me too," said Nick. "Being cooped up in that place kinda gave me cabin fever."

Finnick shrugged and turned on the ignition. "Suit yourselves."

"Finnick, wait." Judy rushed to the open window and pulled herself up so she could meet his eyes. "You saved my life. I didn't quite realise it during all the chaos, but..." She paused, trying not to cry and smiled. "Thank you."

He stared at her for a moment then shrugged again as he looked away. "Was nothin'."

She laughed and released the window, dropping back to the ground. Flash had managed to reach the car now. He looked back at her and Nick and waved.

"I'm... glad... you are... both... safe."

"Thank you, Flash," said Judy. "For everything."

"Yeah!" said Nick. "You guys are real pals. And I'm sorry about your car, man. If I can help out at all-"

Flash waved him off. "It's... fine."

They watched as Flash pulled himself into the car, Finnick waiting patiently. The small fox looked back at them, but Judy couldn't read his expression behind his shades.

"You look after each other now," he said.

Nick placed an arm around Judy and pulled her into his side, causing her face to light up. "Oh, we will. You take care as well, big guy."

Finnick stared at them for a moment, only looking away when Flash closed the passenger side door.

"Yeh, I will." he said. "Ciao."

The van pulled out from the curb and backfired before trundling off down the road, away from the ZPD.

"Well," Nick finally said. "It's all over."

"Yeh." Judy's ears drooped and she groaned. "Two months unpaid suspension..."

"Hey, it's better than being fired, Carrots."

"I know. I'm just glad I have savings. Otherwise I wouldn't make rent this month."

"I could always help you out." Nick folded his paws behind his head and smiled. "So. We taking the subway or the long way?"

"Long way," said Judy. "I might be tired, but I really need to walk all this off."

"Same. I don't fancy being sardined into a carriage. Not today anyway." As they walked back towards Judy's flat, he looked down at her. "Hey, Carrots. I don't suppose you've got any blueberries? Because I could really eat some right now."

...

It had been a long walk, but it had been needed. Judy felt a lot lighter, and less tired than she had been after the fresh air. She was so relieved Nick was okay. As they'd walked they'd talked like he'd never even been gone.

It wasn't until she reached her doorstep that she realised she didn't want him to leave. He paused beside her and leant against the wall.

"This is where I leave you, ma'am," he said.

She laughed and cuffed him in the arm. "I think I prefer it when you call me Carrots."

"Huh." He raised an eyebrow. "So I have a new way to annoy you? I'll have to remember that one."

Judy shook her head at his wide smirk and tutted.

"Cut it out." She reached for her keys and unlocked the door. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Well, we're both tired so I guess so. What shall we do? I guess a movie is out of the window since we both need to be frugal for the next two months."

"We could always watch a movie at yours?" she suggested. Then it hit her. "Wait, were you asking me on a date?"

He shrugged. "I had a lot of thinking to do in that cell. One thing I thought was 'man, I need to ask that cute rabbit on a date. Why haven't I done it sooner?'"

Judy's jaw hung open, then snapped shut as she pointed at him. "Don't call me 'cute'."

"Fine. Adorable."

She felt her face heat up.

"Listen, Carrots." He took both her paws in his, causing her to drop the keys onto the floor with a clatter. "There isn't an easy way for me to say this, so..."

He closed the distance between them, catching her lips in a soft kiss. When he pulled back, Judy stared at him aghast, her face red all the way to the tips of her ears. He smiled and released her, but before he could say anything she pulled him back down by the tie and kissed him again.

"Woo! It's about time!"

Judy froze at the oryx's voice and the two of them pulled back to look up at the window. Pronk was leaning out of it with a soda in one hoof, waving at them.

"We've been waitin' for you two to get together!"

"Come away from the window and leave them alone, Pronk!"

"I'm just showin' them some support, Bucky!"

"And I'm sure they appreciate it. Now shut up and leave them alone!"

"You shut up!"

"No, you shut up!"

And the squabbling continued. Judy tried her best to tune it out and turned back to Nick, a small smile spreading over both their faces.

"Okay, Slick. You got yourself a date." She let go of his tie and grinned, but it didn't do anything to hide the blush covering her cheeks. She retrieved her keys from the doorstep then looked back up at him. "But can I choose the movie?"

He adjusted his tie then leant back against the wall, wearing a smirk on his muzzle. "Oh, I suppose so. But I'm going to vito anything soppy."

She made a 'pfft!' noise and flicked her keys in the air. "Give me a good action movie any time." The door now open, she paused in the doorway. "See you in the morning?"

He smiled. "Sure thing, Carrots. Sleep well."

She closed the door and let her back rest against it. Her heart was racing. She placed a paw to her chest and smiled to herself. A date with Nick. She'd not seen that coming.

...

Finnick flopped onto his sofa, a can of root beer in one paw, finally able to relax after the madness the past three days had brought. His stereo boomed out rap that the thin walls of his van could barely contain.

As he put the can down, he faltered, the can hovering over the application Bogo had given to him. For some reason, he decided to place the can beside it. With a frown, he snatched the application up and strode across the small space towards the drawer of various nicknacks.

He chuckled. "Me a cop. Gotta be jokin' right?"

His toe brushed something hard on the floor and he looked down. An orange carrot pen. Judy must have forgotten it.

Muttering to himself, he stooped to pick it up, noticing that the nib was still poking through the shell. He remembered now. Marcello had upset her. She'd dropped it while she fled from his van. He made a mental note to return it to her, but for now...

The overstuffed draw creaked open and he eyed the contents for a moment, looking from the application and pen back to the drawer. Bogo's words were still fresh in his mind. They'd been playing over on loop the entire time he'd been driving Flash back to the DMV. The sloth hadn't stopped talking about it either, which hadn't helped matters.

' _That kind of bravery can't go unrewarded. As such, I'm going to expunge your record. You get a clean slate. You can start over. Whatever you do with it is up to you._ '

Whatever you do with it...

He stared at the application in his paw. The recent events were certainly not a blur. He couldn't stop thinking about them. Never before in his life had he gone out of his way to help other mammals. Well, there was Nick, but Nick was different. However, there was something about cracking that case that felt... satisfying.

Rewarding.

Never before in his life had another mammal actually thanked him for anything. Seen him as something more than just a conniving fox.

Instead, Bogo had seen him as an ally. He'd thanked him. Rewarded him with a clean slate and offered him a job. A job where he could be more than just a conniving fox.

Finnick let out a small sigh and shoved the drawer closed, not taking his eyes off the application.

"A chance to start over, huh?" He slumped back to the sofa and kicked his feet up onto the table, scanning over the various questions while he twirled the carrot pen around between his fingers. "Alright, fuzz. You got yourself a deal."

...

 **There you go! It's over! Thank you so much for reading!**

 **I think from the ending you can kinda guess the sequel? It will be a side project alongside my main 'fic, and I really need to get back to working on Glitched. I'm not sure when I'll start writing it, but keep an eye open for an upcoming fanfic titled 'Chalk and Cheese' ;)**

 **Please R &R! =D**


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